‘Body unrefrigerated, used cold water bottles:’ Seamen as Indian sailor dies on ship docked in Oman

A 35-year-old Indian seafarer, Nishanth Uirthanathan, died on June 11 aboard the MT Celestial, a ship docked at Duqm Port in Oman. His body remained onboard without proper refrigeration for over two days, according to the Forward Seamen's Union of India, which reported that crew members resorted to using cold water bottles to slow decomposition. The Indian embassy in Muscat confirmed arrangements were being made for the repatriation of his remains to India. The death highlights ongoing challenges for Indian seafarers, with over 300,000 working globally and 18,000 employed in West Asia. This incident follows the recent killing of three Indian seafarers in a US strike on a tanker near Oman, which has drawn criticism from opposition parties and led India to lodge a second protest with the US over the use of lethal force against civilian shipping. India’s foreign ministry summoned the US chargé d’affaires to express deep concern over the strikes, which occurred amid the US-Israeli conflict in Iran. Opposition parties have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise the issue with US President Donald Trump during the upcoming Group of Seven summit. The repeated incidents have intensified diplomatic tensions and raised questions about the safety of Indian seafarers in the region.