All 22 Indian seafarers aboard a crude oil tanker hit by a drone at Sharjah Anchorage are safe, Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Saturday, October 10. The Panama-flagged tanker MT Gem No. 2 was struck on Friday, October 9, while anchored off the UAE coast, in the latest of a string of attacks on merchant ships in the Gulf region.
The news brought relief to families in India, but it has also sharpened demands from seafarer unions for a high-level government plan to protect Indian crews working in conflict zones.
What happened at Sharjah Anchorage
MT Gem No. 2, a crude oil tanker sailing under Panama's flag, was at anchor off Sharjah when it was hit by a drone on Friday. Reports say a fire broke out on board. Who carried out the attack has not been officially confirmed, and some reports carry conflicting claims about whether a drone, projectile or mine was involved. Separately, UAE authorities announced the rescue of 22 crew members after a fire on a vessel in the area.
The full extent of damage to the ship and its cargo has not yet been made public.
What Sonowal said
In a post on X, Sonowal said he was "relieved to share that all 22 of our Indian seafarers onboard are reported to be completely safe." He said the situation was being closely monitored and that authorities were in touch with the ship's management company.
India has a huge stake in such incidents. Indian sailors make up one of the largest national groups in the global merchant fleet, and a large share of them work on tankers and cargo ships moving through the Gulf.
Unions demand crisis team under the PM
The Federation of Seafarers' Unions of India (FSUI) has asked the government to set up a high-level crisis management team under the Prime Minister. General Secretary Manoj Yadav told ANI that the team should include the defence establishment, the Indian Navy and the shipping industry, and should regularly assess threats to Indian crews in risky waters.
Yadav said several vessels with Indian crew had been attacked in the past ten days, pointing to rising danger in the Black Sea and the Gulf. The union wants faster evacuation plans, clearer advisories and stronger coordination with shipowners and manning agencies.
Key facts at a glance
| Vessel | MT Gem No. 2 (crude oil tanker) |
| Flag | Panama |
| Date of attack | Friday, October 9, 2026 |
| Location | Sharjah Anchorage, off the UAE coast |
| Indian crew on board | 22, all safe |
| Confirmed by | Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal |
| Union demand | Crisis team under the PM (FSUI) |
India's diplomatic push on seafarer safety
The attack came just a day after India and Liberia, as co-chairs of the new Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers, condemned attacks on merchant vessels and crews as "simply indefensible." The group was launched at the UN General Assembly last month, and its first meeting in New York reportedly drew 25 countries. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said plainly that "these attacks must stop."
The Gulf has seen repeated strikes on shipping in recent weeks, including a tanker hit by projectiles off Qatar earlier this week. Each incident adds to insurance costs and freight rates, which eventually show up in what India pays for imported fuel.
What it means for Indian families and seafarers
For families with relatives at sea, the key advice is to stay in touch with the manning agency and follow updates from the Directorate General of Shipping and Indian missions in the region. Seafarers on ships heading to the Gulf should check the latest security advisories before sailing and know their company's emergency contact procedures.
What happens next
Officials are expected to share more on the crew's next steps, including whether they will be signed off and flown home. Investigators in the UAE are likely to look into how the attack happened. Whether the Centre responds to the union's call for a PM-level crisis team will be watched closely by India's seafaring community.
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