Image Credits: Indian Navy India has stepped up monitoring of merchant vessels operating in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman after attacks on two oil tankers killed one Indian seafarer and injured several others. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has directed the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) to create a real-time dashboard to track every Indian seafarer working on vessels in the region, regardless of the ship’s flag. According to the latest status report, seven Indian-flagged vessels are currently in the Persian Gulf with 148 Indian seafarers onboard. The vessels include three container ships, one crude oil tanker, one oil/chemical tanker, one bulk carrier and one dredger. The move follows missile attacks on the Emirati oil tankers MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa while they were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE said the vessels were hit in the southern shipping lane within Omani territorial waters. One Indian seafarer was killed and several others were injured in the attacks. The two vessels had a combined crew of 46, including 30 Indian nationals. On MT Al Bahiyah, one Indian seafarer was killed and another was injured. On MT Mombasa, nine Indian nationals were injured, including two who remain seriously injured, according to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The attacks followed an earlier incident involving the Cyprus-flagged container ship GFS Galaxy, which was struck by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). One Indian seafarer remains missing from that incident, while ten others were rescued. Real-time seafarer tracking system Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal chaired a high-level review meeting and directed officials to ensure that every Indian seafarer in the affected region is accounted for. The vessel monitoring dashboard being developed by the DGS will provide real-time details on: Vessel location Ownership Cargo details Crew strength Crew welfare