Indian officer Nishanth Uirthanathan dies aboard vessel in Oman; India coordinates repatriation amid tensions. Photo: ANI
An Indian national serving aboard a merchant vessel in Oman has died due to medical complications, with Indian authorities coordinating efforts to bring his remains back home. The deceased was identified as Nishanth Uirthanathan, a 35-year-old Second Officer from Tamil Nadu. He was serving on board the vessel MT Celestial when the incident occurred. The vessel was docked at Duqm Port in Oman at the time of his death. Confirming the development in a post on X, the Embassy of India in Muscat said, “Indian national Mr Nishanth Uirthanathan passed away due to medical complications.”
The embassy stated that his mortal remains are currently on board the vessel at Duqm Port.
Indian authorities said efforts are underway to complete all procedural requirements for the repatriation process.
“The embassy is in continuous contact with the ship management company and is coordinating with all concerned stakeholders,” the mission said.
It added that arrangements were being made to ensure the early repatriation of the mortal remains to India and extended condolences to the grieving family.
#MTCelestial (off Oman coast)
35-year-old Second Officer Nishanth Uirthanathan (Tamil Nadu) passed away on June 11 after falling seriously ill. His body has remained onboard for over 2 days with no proper refrigeration. Crew is using cold water bottles in a desperate attempt to… pic.twitter.com/hPzGh9St9U— FSUI (@FSUIINDIA) June 13, 2026
Diplomatic exchanges have escalated between India and the United States over recent incidents in the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday spoke with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and conveyed that Washington would not tolerate any violation of the blockade in the region.
India earlier summoned US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks twice during the week following the incidents.
The first summon came after a US attack struck the Palau-flagged oil tanker MT Settebello off the Oman coast, killing three Indian mariners.
A second summon followed soon after when another merchant vessel carrying 20 Indian crew members was also attacked in the same region.
The US Department of Justice issued a statement outlining details of the discussion. The statement said, “Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke yesterday with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. The two officials discussed recent events in the Strait of Hormuz. The Secretary stressed that all commercial vessels should immediately comply with orders from US forces as they seek to uphold peace and security in the Strait. He underscored that violations of the US blockade and the illicit transport of Iranian oil will not be tolerated.”
The issue triggered sharp political reactions in India, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre over its handling of the situation.
Questioning the government’s response to both the deaths of the Indian mariners and Rubio’s remarks, Gandhi argued that India had failed to defend its national interests.
In a strongly worded post on X, the Leader of Opposition said the US had shown neither regret nor remorse over the deaths and had instead continued issuing directives.
He wrote, “Just days after the murder of three Indian sailors in American attacks—no remorse, no apology. On the contrary, America has continued issuing orders. Read their words: ‘Comply immediately with the orders of the US military.’ No violation ‘will be tolerated’.”
“In the regime of the compromised PM, being an Indian means utter ruin. Foreign powers kill our citizens. Our government quietly obeys orders like an obedient servant, and our citizens are left to rot. Bring this Indian home. Now.”
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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