Two Indians Killed in Oman Attack as War’s Human Toll Reaches Migrant Workers, India Moves to Contain Panic at Home
Two Indian nationals were killed and ten others injured in an attack in the Omani port city of Sohar on Friday, as the widening West Asia war continued to claim civilian victims far beyond the battlefield, the Government of India said during its third inter-ministerial briefing on the crisis.
The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that the victims were among a group of workers caught in the incident early in Sohar, a major industrial and port hub in Oman. Officials said 11 people were injured in the attack, including 10 Indians, with five already discharged from hospital and five still receiving treatment. None of the injured currently under care were reported to have serious injuries.
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| File Photo: Sohar Port and Freezone; Via: Oman News Agency on X |
Several other Indian nationals were also injured,” he wrote, adding that the Indian mission in Oman was coordinating with local authorities and the employer company while extending assistance to the affected workers.
Additional Secretary (Gulf) Aseem R. Mahajan told reporters that Indian authorities remain in close contact with Omani officials and the employer company and are monitoring the situation while supporting the injured nationals.
The deaths bring the total number of Indian nationals killed since the conflict began to five, while one Indian seafarer remains missing, according to government figures shared at the briefing.
Officials said the widening war has increasingly affected civilians working across shipping routes, ports and industrial installations linked to the region’s energy economy.
Earlier this week, an Indian crew member died after an attack on the vessel Safesea Vishnu near Iraqi waters, while 15 other Indian crew members were evacuated safely to Basra and are awaiting repatriation.
The government said the Sohar incident shows the vulnerability of migrant workers in Gulf economies, where large numbers of Indians are employed in sectors connected to maritime trade, logistics and energy infrastructure.
At the same time, New Delhi sought to reassure citizens at home that the conflict has not disrupted domestic fuel availability despite the continuing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil transit corridors.
Officials from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said India’s refining capacity of about 258 million metric tonnes per year makes the country the world’s fourth-largest refining hub, and that the country remains self-sufficient in petrol and diesel production. All refineries are operating at high levels of utilisation, some even exceeding 100 percent capacity, and inventories of crude oil remain adequate through diversified supply routes.
The government urged citizens not to panic-buy fuel or cooking gas, saying there have been no reports of petrol or diesel shortages at any of the country’s roughly one lakh retail fuel outlets.
Officials acknowledged, however, that anxiety over the war has triggered a surge in LPG bookings. Daily bookings have increased from an average of 55.7 lakh to about 76 lakh, although oil marketing companies continue delivering around 50 lakh LPG cylinders every day.
Authorities said enforcement actions are underway across several states to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG cylinders, including seizures of illegally diverted cylinders in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.
To ease pressure on LPG supplies, the government has expanded domestic production from refineries by more than 30 percent compared with pre-crisis levels and activated alternative fuel arrangements including kerosene and coal allocations for commercial users such as restaurants and small businesses.
Officials also urged households located in areas with piped natural gas networks to switch from LPG cylinders to domestic PNG connections, which currently serve more than 1.5 crore households nationwide. The measure, they said, would conserve LPG supplies for regions without pipeline access.
Beyond domestic fuel management, the government said it continues to monitor maritime safety in the Gulf, where the conflict has disrupted shipping routes and increased risks for commercial vessels.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said 24 Indian-flagged vessels carrying 668 Indian seafarers are currently operating in the Persian Gulf, while another 76 Indian seafarers remain on vessels east of the Strait of Hormuz. In total, about 23,000 Indian seafarers work across merchant and offshore vessels in the wider Gulf region.
Since the crisis began, the Directorate General of Shipping’s 24-hour control room has handled over 2,425 calls and 4,441 emails, facilitating the safe repatriation of more than 223 stranded Indian seafarers.
Authorities said port operations across India remain stable, with priority berthing being provided to LPG vessels and additional logistics support introduced to ensure uninterrupted cargo movement.
The government also reiterated that diplomatic engagement with countries across West Asia continues as the conflict expands. Officials noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and emphasised India’s priority of ensuring the safety of its citizens and maintaining the uninterrupted transit of energy and goods.
Meanwhile, Indian missions across the region remain in constant contact with the Indian community through 24-hour helplines. The MEA control room established earlier this month has already received over 900 calls and 200 emails seeking assistance.
For India, which is not a party to the war, the deaths in Sohar represent the human cost of a conflict whose consequences now stretch across shipping lanes, energy markets and migrant communities throughout the Gulf.
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