An LPG tanker carrying cargo bound for India has crossed the Strait of Hormuz and is now sailing towards the country, providing some relief to supplies disrupted by conflict in the Middle East, Press TI reported.The Marshall Islands-flagged ship MT Sarv Shakti, carrying 46,313 tons of LPG, cleared the strategic checkpoint on May 2 and is expected to reach Visakhapatnam on May 13, an official statement said.The ship has a crew of 20, including 18 Indians.The shipment is sufficient to meet about half a day of India’s needs for liquefied petroleum gas and is expected to partially ease restrictions on supplies that have continued since the conflict in West Asia began more than two months ago.Ship tracking data showed the ship was in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday evening.The very large gas tanker, which was previously used on the Persian Gulf and India routes, has been chartered by the state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).Sarv Shakti is the first India-linked tanker to pass through the conflict-affected region since the US blockade of Iran-linked ships began weeks ago, leading to a sharp decline in traffic through Hormuz.As many as 14 Indian-flagged or Indian-owned ships remain stuck on the western side of the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement said that no incident involving ships flying the Indian flag has been reported in the past 24 hours.The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Missions and maritime stakeholders to ensure crew welfare and smooth operations.Since its activation, the control room of the General Directorate of Shipping has handled 8,373 calls and more than 17,965 emails, including 38 calls and 127 emails in the last 24 hours.India has also facilitated the repatriation of over 2,953 seafarers so far, including 31 seafarers on the last day from across the Gulf region.The statement added that port operations across the country remain normal, and no congestion has been reported.
