Indian Sailor Killed as US-Owned Tanker ‘Safesea Vishnu’ Attacked Near Iraq; 15 Others Rescued
2 min readUpdated: Mar 12, 2026 12:03 PM An Indian sailor was killed on March 11 in the ongoing Iran vs Israel-US war. The sailor was part of a 16-member Indian crew on the US-owned tanker Safesea Vishnu.
“On March 11, 2026, a US-owned crude oil tanker Safesea Vishnu, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, was attacked near Basra, Iraq, in which one Indian crew member unfortunately lost his life. The remaining 15 Indian crew have since been evacuated to a safe place. Embassy of India Baghdad is in regular contact with Iraqi authorities and rescued Indian sailors and is offering all possible assance. Embassy extends its deepest condolences to the family members of the deceased crew member,” the Indian Embassy in Iraq posted on X.
On March 11, 2026, a US-owned crude oil tanker Safesea Vishnu, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, was attacked near Basra, Iraq, in which one Indian crew member unfortunately lost his life. The remaining 15 Indian crew have since been evacuated to a safe place. Embassy of…
— India In Iraq (@EI_Baghdad) March 12, 2026
As per Vessel Finder, the last updated position of the Safesea Vishnu was in Basrah Oil Terminal Anchorage in the Persian Gulf off the Iraq at midnight. The vessel is a Marshall Islands-flagged ship.
Earlier on Wednesday, Minry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We have two Indian nationals whom we have lost, and one is missing. We express our condolences to their families. This happened when they were on merchant vessels which came under attack.”
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