Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Apr 6: In a significant development amid the ongoing Gulf tensions, the India-flagged LPG tanker Green Asha successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, carrying 15,400 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Green Asha is the eighth Indian LPG carrier to exit the strait, which has remained largely disrupted since Iran effectively restricted passage following the US-Israel strikes on February 28, triggering a global energy crisis. Prior to the conflict, nearly 90% of India’s LPG imports passed through this crucial route.
According to shipping data, the vessel departed from Al Rams port in the United Arab Emirates on March 30 and navigated close to the Iranian coastline, passing between Larak, Hormuz and Qeshm islands.
The tanker is owned by MOL India Private Limited and was chartered by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. It was originally bound for Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai.
Earlier, another LPG carrier, Green Sanvi, transporting 46,650 tonnes of LPG with 25 crew members onboard, had also successfully transited the strait. However, tanker Jag Vikram, carrying around 20,000 tonnes of LPG, remains stranded in the Gulf region.
The government had earlier identified 22 India-bound vessels in the Persian Gulf for possible evacuation through Hormuz, of which 20 are considered critical for the country’s energy requirements. Additionally, three foreign-flagged vessels carrying a combined 87,000 tonnes of LPG are awaiting safe passage.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that 17 India-flagged vessels, with 460 Indian seafarers onboard, are still operating in the western Persian Gulf. Authorities, including the Directorate General of Shipping, are closely monitoring the situation in coordination with ship owners and Indian missions abroad.
The Shipping Ministry has assured that all necessary measures are being taken to safeguard Indian vessels and crew in the region, adding that no incidents involving Indian ships have been reported in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, 345 Indian fishermen stranded in Iran have safely returned home, with the Indian Embassy in Tehran facilitating their evacuation via Armenia before they boarded flights to Chennai.