Two Indian-Flagged Tankers Carrying 92,700 MT LPG Heading to Domestic Ports: Govt

New Delhi: Two Indian-flagged LPG tankers — Shivalik and Nanda Devi — have safely crossed the crucial Strait of Hormuz and are now on their way to India carrying around 92,700 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the government said on Saturday.

According to Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the two vessels are expected to arrive at Indian ports in the coming days.

He said Shivalik is likely to reach Mundra Port on March 16, while Nanda Devi is expected to dock at Kandla Port on March 17.

Both ships are owned by the state-run Shipping Corporation of India and had earlier been among 24 Indian-flagged vessels operating in the Persian Gulf region.

With the departure of these two tankers, 22 Indian-flagged vessels carrying 611 seafarers remain in the Persian Gulf, Sinha said, adding that all Indian crew members in the region are safe.

“No untoward incidents involving Indian seafarers have been reported in the past 24 hours,” he said during the briefing.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Fathali, the Ambassador of Iran to India, confirmed that Tehran had allowed some Indian vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, although he did not disclose operational details.

“As the Ambassador of Iran to India, I will continue to follow this issue. Iran and India share historical relations. There was some delay, but the passage has been allowed,” Fathali said while speaking at the India Today Conclave in New Delhi.

Sources said that after the successful transit of these two LPG carriers, more Indian tankers are expected to cross the conflict-affected zone, following Iran’s decision to allow Indian-flagged vessels safe passage.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes, with around 20 per cent of global oil and gas exports passing through the narrow waterway.

With inputs from IANS