Two Missing Indian Sailors Die Days After Skylight Tanker Hit By Iranian Missiles: Report

Last Updated:March 05, 2026, 13:40 IST

The oil tanker with 15 Indian nationals and 5 Iranian seafarers on board was hit by an Iranian missile on March 1.

Two missing Indian sailors have been killed in an attack on an oil tanker ‘Skylight’ in the Gulf of Oman amid escalating tensions between US-Israel and Iran.

The two have been identified as Captain Ashish Kumar from Bihar and crew member Dalip Singh from Rajasthan, NDTV reported on Thursday. However, News18 can not independently verify the claims.

The Palau-flagged oil tanker, with 15 Indian nationals and 5 Iranian seafarers on board, was struck off Oman’s Musandam Peninsula in an attack that followed drone strikes on the country’s Duqm port.

“The Maritime Security Centre announces that the oil tanker (SKYLIGHT), flying the flag of the Republic of (Palau), was targeted 5 nautical miles north of Khasab Port in the Musandam Governorate, and all crew members of the tanker, consisting of 20 individuals — including 15 holding Indian nationality and 5 of Iranian nationality–have been evacuated," Oman’s Maritime Security Centre (MSC) said.

Skylight was included on the US government sanctions list in December of 2025.

Two Bodies Recovered

The bones of two people have been recovered; the bodies were burnt in the attack. Ashish’s bones were recovered from the captain’s cabin, reported NDTV, citing information provided by the government.

Ashish’s family reported that they received the news of his death via email late last night. “Until yesterday, we considered him missing, but today the news of his death has devastated the entire family," they said.

Meanwhile, Dalip Singh, a resident of Khinwatana village in Rajasthan’s Nagaur, began his duty on January 22 and was serving as a crew member on the tanker.

Tensions In Middle East

The development came after Iran in an explicit warning stated that the Strait of Hormuz was closed and it will fire on any ship trying to pass.

“The strait (of Hormuz) is closed. If anyone tries to pass, the heroes of the Revolutionary Guards and the regular navy will set those ships ablaze," Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the Guards commander-in-chief, had said in remarks carried by state media.

The strait is the world’s most vital oil export route, which connects the biggest Gulf oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

News world Two Missing Indian Sailors Die Days After Skylight Tanker Hit By Iranian Missiles: Report

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