India’s external affairs ministry said Friday that reports of a U.S. attack on a fourth Indian-crewed commercial vessel were false, aligning with owner data showing the ship continued its voyage.
Fact-checkers traced the rumor to misread automatic identification system glitches that temporarily froze a tanker’s icon on tracking maps.
Diplomats contacted the operator, confirming no distress signal or naval boarding occurred during the cited window.
The clarification followed genuine earlier incidents that killed Indian seafarers, a context that made additional strike claims seem plausible to social audiences.
Maritime lawyers urged platforms to label unverified fleet graphics as speculative to prevent panic among migrant sailor families.
Crew unions nonetheless demanded faster official updates when shots are fired anywhere near Indian nationals in the Gulf.
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Sources:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/awards-constituted-in-honour-of-netaji-given-to-ex-japan-pm-others-101642965484058-quickread.html