All 21 Indian seafarers aboard a Panama-flagged container ship that came under fire in theStrait of Hormuzare safe, the government said on Wednesday, amid escalating maritime tensions between Iran and the United States. One Indian seafarer was among the crew of a vessel taken into custody by Iran. Two of the three foreign-flagged commercial vessels fired upon by Iranian forces in the strait on Wednesday had 22 Indian seafarers, Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary in Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, said at a news briefing.

"All seafarers on board both the vessels are safe," he said. There was no Indian on board the third ship.

Iran on Wednesday captured two foreign container ships seeking to exit the strait and fired at a third one, as a retaliation to United States naval blockade of Iranian ports and capture of Iranian-flagged ships. Iranian guards boarded and took custody of vessels Francesca and Epaminondas. While there is no Indian on Francesca, one Indian is among the 21 crew onboard Epaminondas.

The third vessel, Euphoria, a container ship flagged with Panama, has 21 Indian seafarers onboard. "All of them are safe," he said.

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Vessel Epaminondas, a container ship flagged with Panama has one Indian seafarer onboard. "He is safe," he said. Epaminondas has a crew of 21 members made up of mostly Ukrainians and Filipinos and was bound for India. There was one Indian seafarer on this ship.

"We have spoken to concerned authorities and he (the Indian seafarer on Epaminondas) is safe," Mangal said.

Epaminondas and also Francesca are on the western side of the Persian Gulf, he said without directly saying that they were in custody of Iranian guards. The third vessel Euphoria, with 21 Indian seafarers, was on the eastern side, he said.

A vessel on western side of the strait means it is in Iranian waters and in control of Iranian guards while the one on eastern side means it has sailed off the war zone.

"Now you can make out which vessel is where," he said.

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