Gulf Horror | 2 Indian Seafarers Rescued From Sky Light Ship Attack Recount Ordeal
Abdul Rehman Mandal and Vikram Ghosh, who worked as Chief Chef, have returned to Mumbai. For them, it was a harrowing time in the Gulf.
Published : March 21, 2026 at 10:20 PM IST
Mumbai: After the war between Iran-Israel and the US broke out on February 28, 2026, two Indian seafarers Abdul Rehman Mandal and Vikram Ghosh, who worked as a chief chef, had sleepless nights in the Gulf region.
They were part of the Indian sailors who were trapped in the horrific attack on the 'Sky Light' ship. Both Abdul and Ghosh have now safely returned to Mumbai and they shared their ordeal with ETV Bharat.
Abdul recalled, "On March 1, 2026, when we were near the Khasab port in Oman, our 'Sky Light' ship was attacked by either missiles or drones. There was a huge explosion between 6:45 AM and 7 AM. I fell out of bed and woke up. After that, there was a lot of smoke everywhere. Everyone was running to open the doors and get out."
He added that when he came out, he realised that the Captain of the ship Ashish Kumar and the oiler Dalip Singh were not seen. "We were shouting loudly to them, but even after a long time, there was no response," he quipped.
Abdul also recollected that at the time of the attack there were a total of 10 Indian and 12 Iranian workers and officers on the ship.
The Iranian workers had come on board to clean the oil tanks. "We saw another ship in the distance, but it did not come near us at first. We were shouting loudly for help. After about 45 minutes to an hour, we told the members of the other ship that our oil tanks were empty and that is when they came near us," added Abdul.
He further stated that after the other ship came near their ship, all the crew members wore life jackets and climbed onto the other ship with the help of ropes and saved their lives.
He maintained that till the end, there was no trace of Kumar and Singh. Later it was revealed that both Kumar and Singh had died.
Abdul further recalled that after they were rescued, they were taken to Khasab Port in Oman. The injured were treated there and then returned to India March 18.
Like Abdul, Ghosh too had an harrowing experience. Ghosh remembered, "While we were in Oman, we lived in constant fear that another attack could occur at any moment. From where we were situated, our ship was clearly visible, and explosions were still taking place in the vicinity."
According to Ghosh, they did not have any lugguage or documemts and this is when they were helped by the Government of India, which issued 'White Cards' for them.
"Following that, we were repatriated from Oman to India," he quipped. Natually, both Abdul and Ghosh were in a state of profound shock for a while. So much so that in Ghosh's words "even the slightest noise" at night would trouble them.
Abdul has now heaved a sigh of relief as he back to his own country. "We can finally sleep peacefully. The experience over there was a horrendous one," he added.
Meanwhile, Manoj Yadav, General Secretary of the Forward Seamen's Union of India, stated that currently, approximately 650 Indian crew members and officers are serving on 22 Indian vessels operating in Iran and the surrounding region.
He added that moreover around 23,000 Indian workers are employed on foreign-flagged vessels. He has, therefore, urged the Centre to take immediate steps to ensure the safe repatriation of all these individuals. He also mentioned that his organisation has been in constant touch with the Centre over this issue.
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