VOI World/ Desk
From a young deck cadet in Himachal Pradesh to a chief engineer in Andhra Pradesh and a father of two in Uttar Pradesh, three Indian seafarers who left home in search of better opportunities are now being mourned by grieving families after a tanker strike near Oman claimed their lives.
The three victims have been identified as Aditya Sharma, 23, from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh; Shivanand Chaurasia, 38, from Deoria in Uttar Pradesh; and Patnala Suresh, 44, from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. All three were crew members aboard the tanker MT Settebello, which was struck near the Strait of Hormuz.
Aditya Sharma, an only child, had trained in nautical science and was working as a deck cadet. Family members said he had extended his contract to gain additional experience and was building a career in the merchant navy. News of his death has left his village in Himachal Pradesh in shock.
In Uttar Pradesh, Shivanand Chaurasia’s family is struggling to come to terms with the loss of their sole breadwinner. He is survived by his wife and two young children, aged seven and two. Relatives described him as a hardworking professional who spent years at sea to provide a better life for his family.
In Visakhapatnam, Patnala Suresh’s wife recalled speaking to him shortly before the incident. The chief engineer was expected to return home within days, and the family was preparing to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary.
The deaths have sparked renewed concerns about the safety of Indian seafarers operating in conflict-prone waters. India supplies one of the world’s largest maritime workforces, with thousands of Indian sailors serving aboard international merchant vessels.
As the families await the return of their loved ones, their stories have put a human face on a tragedy unfolding far from home, highlighting the personal cost of growing tensions along one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
