A 56-year-old Indian marine engineer from Mumbai lost his life after an attack on an oil tanker near Basra, leaving his family devastated and demanding clarity on the incident.
The victim, Deo Nandan Prasad Singh, was serving as an Additional Chief Engineer on the oil tanker MT Safecy Vishnu when the vessel reportedly came under attack near the Basra region of Iraq.
According to available information, the tanker was sailing close to Khor Al Zubair Port when the incident occurred on Wednesday amid escalating tensions in the region. Singh reportedly suffered severe injuries during the attack and later lost his life.
Originally from Bihar, Singh had moved to Mumbai in 2019 and was living with his family at Raheja Eternity Society in Kandivali East. He is survived by his wife Kumkum Singh, daughter Komal Singh, and a son who is currently pursuing a management course in the United States.
Speaking about the incident, Singh’s 21-year-old daughter Komal, a third-year student at Government Medical College Nagpur, shared details of the last conversation she had with her father.
She said the family had spoken with him on the evening of March 11, when he reassured them that everything was normal on the ship.
“We spoke to dad in the evening and he said everything was alright. At around 2:36 am he called again and told us the ship was on fire. After that we kept calling him but he didn’t pick up,” she said.
Komal added that when the family contacted the shipping company, they were initially told to wait until morning.
“They later said everyone had been rescued but that my father had inhaled a lot of seawater and could not be revived. When we reached the company office, they told us he was no more,” she said.
She further alleged that the family did not receive any formal or official communication regarding the incident.
According to her, Singh had recently resigned from the company but decided to undertake this voyage to earn additional income as her college fees were pending.
“We want his remains brought back and we want an international-level investigation into the attack,” she said.
Singh’s wife, Kumkum Singh, said the family learned about the situation mainly through media reports.
“We spoke on the evening of March 11 and he said, ‘Hum yahan theek hain.’ That’s all he used to say. I sent my husband alive; I want him back the same way. Neither the government nor the company informed us properly,” she said while demanding compensation and justice for the family.
Their 27-year-old son, who is currently studying management in the United States and was recently in Japan for a project, is now returning to India after learning about the tragedy.
Authorities and maritime agencies have been informed about the incident, and an investigation is underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack on the tanker. Meanwhile, the family continues to wait for the repatriation of Singh’s remains and further clarity on the incident.
