Kandla (Gujarat): A vessel carrying 20,000 metric tonnes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) safely arrived at Deendayal Port Authority in Kandla, Gujarat, after crossing the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions in West Asia, officials said on Sunday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, MV SYMI, had begun its journey from Qatar and docked at Kandla port around 11:30 pm on Saturday. Officials said the vessel crossed the Strait of Hormuz on May 13 despite ongoing regional instability and disruptions in maritime movement.
The Strait of Hormuz, located near the coast of Oman, is one of the world’s most vital shipping routes, with nearly one-fifth of global energy supplies passing through the narrow waterway.
Shipping operations in the region have faced severe challenges following the intensifying conflict in West Asia that began on February 28 after joint military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran. The attacks triggered retaliatory action and heightened security concerns across key maritime routes, contributing to one of the worst global energy crises in recent decades.
Officials said that since early March, 13 India-flagged vessels, including 12 LPG tankers and one crude oil tanker, have successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz.
The development comes days after an India-flagged commercial vessel was attacked off the coast of Oman on May 13. Omani authorities later rescued all 14 crew members aboard the ship, which was reportedly sailing from Somalia. However, the identity of those responsible for the attack has not yet been confirmed.
Meanwhile, addressing a special meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNECOSOC) on global energy and supply chains, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, strongly condemned attacks on commercial shipping in the region.
He stated that targeting commercial vessels, endangering civilian crews and obstructing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz was “unacceptable”.
The safe arrival of the LPG shipment is being viewed as significant for India’s energy security at a time when global fuel supply chains remain under pressure due to the conflict in West Asia.
