Deonandan Prasad Singh, an additional chief engineer of the Marshall Island-flagged tanker MT Safesea Vishnu, died in an attack near Basra, Iraq. The incident occurred during ship-to-ship cargo loading operations near the Khor Al Zubair Port.
The tanker, carrying 48,000 metric tonnes of naphtha, was struck by an unidentified object, resulting in a major fire onboard. Preliminary reports indicate a white-coloured unmanned speedboat carrying explosives approached the vessel from the starboard side.
Singh, a native of Bihar and a resident of Kandivali, is survived by his wife and two children. The shipping ministry has been in touch with Singh's family, and the Embassy of India in Baghdad is coordinating with Iraqi authorities to ensure the welfare of the Indian nationals.
