MT Sarv Shakti, a carrier with 46,313 metric tonnes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for India, has reportedly safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel with the Marshall Islands flag is manned by 20 crew members, including 18 Indians on board. It is expected to dock at Visakhapatnam on May 13.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has stated that all Indian seafarers in the region are safe, and no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported. The Ministry of External Affairs has said that it is continuously monitoring developments in the conflict-hit West Asia and is focussing on efforts on ensuring the safety, security, and welfare of the Indian community.
This is a significant development as India manages its energy security amid the US-Israel-Iran-triggered West Asia crisis, which led to the selective de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran. Before the conflict that broke out on February 28, about 90 percent of India’s imported LPG passed through the strait, as per the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
