Tehran:Around 20,000 seafarers on hundreds of vessels have reportedly been stuck in the Gulf due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing conflict between theUnited Statesand Iran. Normally about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) transits the key waterway. Nearly 80 vessels passed through the strait in the week of April 13-19, according to the maritime data firm Lloyd's List Intelligence. However, approximately 130 or more used to pass through the strait per day before the start of the war.

Dozens of ships have come under attack since the war started as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) imposed the virtual blockade in the strait. As per the United Nations, at least 10 seafarers were killed. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) imposed the virtual blockade in the strait after the US and Israel's airstrikes on Tehran on February 28.

Even as US President Donald Trump last week extended the ceasefire indefinitely, the US kept the blockade of Iranian ports. In response, Iran fired on ships in the strait and seized two.

Notably, India is one of the world’s largest suppliers of maritime labour. The country reportedly has more than 20,000 nationals working on foreign-flagged ships in the region. Last week, India’s Shipping Ministry said that at least 2,680 sailors had been evacuated since the conflict began.

Also Read:Iran Slams US' ‘Return to Piracy’ After Forceful Tanker Seizures in Hormuz

For about eight weeks, Indian Capt. Rahul Dhar and his crew have been stranded on their tanker in the Persian Gulf, reported The Associated Press. Capt. Dhar told the news agency that the crew’s morale is holding as they carry on with their routines, but the strain is beginning to show. He said that the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran has brought “a careful sense of hope” for the crew, but there is still no clear end to the war.

“Day to day, we try to keep things normal with open conversations and small team activities that help lift everyone’s spirits,” he said, as quoted by The Associated Press.

Meanwhile, Manoj Kumar Yadav of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India said thousands of Indian sailors were aboard the stranded vessels. As per Yadav, ships lay anchored near Iranian ports such as Bandar Abbas and Khorramshahr. Explosions sometimes occurred just a few hundred meters (yards) away. “They were watching blasts from their decks,” he said, adding that his union has been fielding daily distress calls from crews and their families.

Yadav said many sailors reported acute shortages of food and drinking water, with some vessels forced to ration supplies. Communication with families in India was sporadic due to internet disruptions and signal jamming.

(With inputs from The Associated Press)

Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now