(Image source from: DDnews.gov.in)

The maritime tragedy off the coast of Oman has left the 16-member crew, comprising 13 Indians and 3 Sri Lankans, of a Comoros-registered oil tanker missing. According to the Sultanate's Maritime Security Centre (MSC), the vessel has capsized and remains completely submerged, though it's unclear if the tanker has stabilized or if any oil spill has occurred. The oil tanker, a 117-meter-long vessel built in 2007, was en route to the Yemeni port of Aden when the incident occurred near Oman's major industrial port of Duqm. In response, Omani authorities have launched a search and rescue operation, coordinating with maritime officials. Additionally, the Indian Navy's warship INS Teg and the maritime surveillance aircraft P-8I have been deployed to assist in the search efforts alongside Omani vessels and personnel.

In Oman, a significant industrial hub is taking shape, anchored by a major oil refinery that is part of the expansive Duqm economic development project, the nation's largest. Tragically, a shooting near a Shia mosque in Muscat claimed the life of an Indian citizen and injured another. This incident followed a deadly assault on a Shia Muslim place of worship, which resulted in the deaths of nine individuals, including three assailants, and left as many as 28 people wounded, including security personnel. Four of the deceased were Pakistani nationals. The attack coincided with the Ashura observance, a solemn annual commemoration of the 7th-century passing of Hussein, a descendant of Prophet Muhammad. Oman's population exceeds four million, with expatriate workers, primarily from South Asia, comprising over 40 percent of the total, according to government data.