Navy escorts stranded LPG tanker crew after tense standoff in gulf waters near Hormuz

The crew of the Gujarat-bound tanker celebrates their deliverance on Wednesday

Captain Virendra Vishwakarma and his 33-strong crew, whose tanker had been stuck near the Strait of Hormuz amid the war in West Asia since March 2, were rescued by the Indian Navy on Tuesday night. The vessel, escorted by two Navy ships and a helicopter, is expected to reach Deendayal Port in Gujarat's Kutch district on March 28.

How skipper and crew were rescued

Captain Virendra Vishwakarma, who is commanding the tanker

Captain Vishwakarma has been in contact with the Indian authorities since the war started on February 28. According to his wife, on Tuesday night, the vessel got the green signal from the Indian Navy to depart, following talks between Iranian officials and their Indian counterparts

Thwarted departure

The vessel, which is carrying enough liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to fill at least 35 lakh domestic cylinders, was loaded at Mina Al Ahmadi Port in Kuwait and was to depart for Deendayal Port on March 2, but it could not proceed from Mina Saqr, a major deep-water seaport in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, as its route was restricted due to hostilities between Iran and Israel and the United States

Wife relieved

(From right) Captain Virendra Vishwakarma, his wife Nilpa and their children Nirvi and Vedansh in happier times. PICS/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

"Thanks to the Indian Navy, the ship crossed the war-torn Strait of Hormuz. My husband received directions over calls till Muscat, Oman. At that point, two Navy ships and a helicopter joined the vessel. I am overjoyed that my husband is returning to India," said Nilpa Vishwakarma. "Every year, my kids and I would sail with my husband, but this time, I dropped the plan. I am grateful to the Indian Navy and the Indian government for bringing my husband and his crew safely back home," she added.

March 2
Day vessel was to originally depart for Gujarat