Twenty sailors have now been rescued, while three remain missing, according to the Royal Thai Navy. The Omani Navy carried out the rescue operation, and search efforts are continuing for the missing crew members.
Thai-flagged vessel attacked near Strait of Hormuz, three crew reported missing
A Thai-flagged cargo vessel was reportedly attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on March 11, leaving three crew members missing, according to media reports.The vessel, MAYUREE NAREE Bangkok, was hit… pic.twitter.com/fpoU2wuV3h— Thai Enquirer (@ThaiEnquirer) March 11, 2026
Images released by the Royal Thai Navy showed thick black smoke rising from the ship’s hull and superstructure, with life rafts visible in the surrounding waters. The Navy said the specific details and cause of the attack are still under investigation. The vessel is about 178 metres long and has a displacement of around 30,000 tonnes.
The ship had departed from Khalifa Port in the United Arab Emirates and came under attack while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The Indian External Affairs Ministry said it had taken note of reports about the attack. “India deplores the fact that commercial shipping is being made a target of military attacks in the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Precious lives, including of Indian citizens, have already been lost in multiple such attacks in the earlier phase of this conflict and the intensity and lethality of the attacks only seems to be increasing,” the ministry said in a statement.
Commercial shipping should not be targeted and that freedom of navigation and commerce must be maintained, they added.
The Strait of Hormuz, located between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. A significant share of global oil and gas shipments passes through this route.
India relies heavily on shipping routes through the Gulf for its crude oil imports. According to government data, around 778 Indian seafarers are currently aboard 28 Indian-flagged vessels operating in the Persian Gulf region.
The Strait of Hormuz has effectively remained closed since the beginning of the month after attacks by the US and Israel on Iran led to retaliatory actions by Tehran across the region. Only a small number of vessels are believed to have attempted the crossing during this period.
Nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass through the strait. Earlier this week, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it would not allow even “one litre of oil” to leave the region if the US-Israeli attacks continued.
