Indian sailor killed in MV GFS Galaxy attack: UAE Mission
An Indian sailor, who went missing after an attack on the MV GFS Galaxy cargo vessel off the coast of Oman, has died, the Indian Consulate in Dubai confirmed on Wednesday.
It said the Indian officials are closely coordinating with the UAE authorities and the shipping company to provide all possible assistance to the deceased sailor’s family. “We express our deepest condolences at the tragic demise of an Indian national due to an attack on the commercial vessel MV GFS Galaxy on 12 July 2026,” the mission said in a post on X. The attack on the Cyprus-flagged MV GFS Galaxy on Sunday off the coast of Oman left one of its 11 Indian crew members missing. Ten Indian crew members of the vessel were rescued.
The missing Indian national, identified as 30-year-old Herambh Karmarkar from Pune, was a third engineer aboard the cargo vessel when it was attacked.
According to Gulf News, Karmarkar’s family was informed by the shipping company on Tuesday evening that Oman’s coast guard had recovered his body, nearly 60 hours after he was reported missing.
“The Consulate is in touch with the bereaved family and is closely coordinating with the relevant UAE authorities and the shipping company to provide all possible support and assistance to the family,” the Indian mission said.
“We are awaiting his mortal remains, which are currently with the Oman Navy. Herambh had been on the vessel for the last five months and was due to sign off soon,” his father-in-law Vivek Tandon said on Wednesday.
Karmarkar is survived by his wife, mother and younger sister. He had completed his marine engineering from the City of Glasgow College in the UK and had joined the merchant navy, Tandon added.
The attack came amid fresh hostilities between Iran and the US, with India reiterating that the targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end.
