The Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) has directed ship owners, ship managers and recruitment and placement service companies to avoid deploying Indian sailors on vessels travelling through the Strait of Hormuz until further orders amid the West Asia crisis.

In an advisory, the DGMA said masters of vessels operating in Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and adjoining waters shall maintain a heightened level of security vigilance. They are directed to monitor navigational warnings, security advisories and updates issued by the competent authorities, and implement all applicable ship security measures, in accordance with International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) code.

"Ship owners, ship managers and Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) companies are directed to avoid deploying Indian seafarers on vessels undertaking voyages involving passage through the Strait of Hormuz until further order," it said.

Dashboard for information

The advisory came after the attacks on two vessels this week – MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa – in the Strait of Hormuz. They were carrying 30 Indian seafarers among a combined crew of 46. One Indian seafarer lost his life while another sustained injuries aboard MT Al Bahiyah. On MT Mombasa, nine Indian nationals were injured.

The government on Tuesday had asked the shipping authority to set up a dashboard for providing real-time information about Indian seafarers on each vessel operating in the region, irrespective of the ship's flag.

Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had asked the DGMA to establish a comprehensive vessel-by-vessel operational dashboard to account for every Indian on each vessel, irrespective of its flag, operating in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.