The deceased, Aditya Sharma, was serving as a deck cadet aboard the vessel and was among the Indian crew members caught in the incident.
Image: X/@SukhuSukhvinder
A 23-year-old deck cadet from Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur district has died following an attack on the oil tanker MT Settebello near the Strait of Hormuz, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed on Thursday, June 11.
The deceased, Aditya Sharma, was serving as a deck cadet aboard the vessel and was among the Indian crew members caught in the incident. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), 21 of the 24 Indian crew members on board have been rescued safely, while efforts are continuing to trace those who remain unaccounted for.
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The Indian Embassy in Oman is in constant touch with local authorities and maritime agencies to coordinate search and rescue operations, officials said. Sonowal stated that two bodies have been recovered so far, while the ship’s Chief Engineer remains missing.
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Badsar MLA Inder Dutt Lakhanpal said that Member of Parliament Anurag Singh Thakur is in regular contact with the Ministry of External Affairs to facilitate the early repatriation of Aditya Sharma’s mortal remains to India.
Aditya was the only child of his parents. His father, Rajesh Kumar, who runs a business in Jalandhar, had appealed on social media for help in locating his son when he was initially reported missing. In a post on X, he wrote, “I am the father of one of the three missing crew members. Aditya Sharma is my son. Please help us find and locate him.”
#WATCH | Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh | Sea-farer Aditya Sharma dies in an attack on Palau-flagged MT Settebello near Strait of Hormuz
His father, Rajesh Sharma, says, “I appeal to MP Anurag Thakur, CM Sukhu, EAM Dr S Jaishankar and PM Modi to help me get the mortal remains of my… pic.twitter.com/ZkssuYBodX
— ANI (@ANI) June 11, 2026
The grieving father further claimed that his son had earlier complained about alleged harassment by a senior officer on board and had expressed a desire to leave the vessel in April. “My son had complained about exploitation by a senior and wanted to leave the ship. We have records of all those conversations,” he said.
Family members said Aditya had joined the Merchant Navy on November 24, 2025, and was undergoing a 15-month training programme. His uncle, Sanjeev Lakhanpal, said the young cadet had initially signed a six-month contract and was expected to return home on May 24. However, Aditya later informed the family that he would return only after completing half of his training period, leading to an extension of his contract by two months.
According to relatives, the shipping company informed the family about the attack on Tuesday evening and initially stated that Aditya was missing. On Wednesday, the family was informed that his body had been recovered. They have urged the Central Government to ensure that his mortal remains are brought back to India at the earliest.
स्ट्रेट ऑफ होर्मुज के पास ओमान तट के निकट, वाणिज्यिक पोत ‘एमटी सेट्टेबेलो’ पर हुए हमले में मेरे विधानसभा क्षेत्र नादौन के गलोड़ निवासी आदित्य शर्मा जी के निधन से मन अत्यंत व्यथित है।
ईश्वर दिवंगत की आत्मा को शांति प्रदान करें और शोकाकुल परिवार को इस अपार दुःख की घड़ी में संबल… pic.twitter.com/ALXkt0Zr66
— Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) June 11, 2026
The incident marks the second attack in three days on an oil tanker carrying Indian crew members. On June 8, MT Marivex, carrying 28 sailors, including 24 Indians, came under attack. All crew members were rescued safely by the Indian Coast Guard and Omani authorities.
The second attack occurred on June 10 on MT Settebello, a vessel operating under the flag of Palau. The tanker had 24 crew members on board, and three Indian fatalities have been confirmed. The Ministry of External Affairs has condemned the attack and lodged a formal protest with the concerned authorities, officials said.
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