Oman: Indian envoy visits hospital to meet seafarer injured in MSV Quba attack

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Muscat, Nov 12 (IANS) India’s Ambassador to Oman, Prashant Pise, visited an Indian seafarer injured in the recent attack on Indian vessel MSV Quba at a hospital in Oman’s Sohar, the Embassy of India in Muscat said on Thursday.

“Ambassador Prashant Pise visited the injured Indian seafarer at Sohar hospital, who is a victim of the recent attack on Indian vessel MSV Quba,” the Embassy posted on X.

The Ambassador enquired about the seafarer’s well-being and spoke with the medical team treating him.

“He enquired about the seafarer’s well-being, interacted with the medical team regarding his treatment and recovery, and conveyed his heartfelt wishes for a speedy recovery. The Embassy stands firmly with the affected seafarers and their families during this difficult time and remains committed to extending all necessary assistance,” the Embassy said.

Earlier this month, India condemned the attack on a commercial vessel MSV Al Jusufi near Oman’s Limah, which claimed the life of an Indian national, and reiterated its call for de-escalation of tensions.

“Of the 14 Indian nationals on board, 13 have been rescued while 1 Indian national tragically lost his life after sustaining injuries. We convey our deepest condolences on the precious life lost,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said in a statement.

The MEA had expressed concern over continuing attacks on commercial shipping in the region and called for immediate de-escalation of tensions, and the conclusion of ongoing negotiations for a diplomatic solution.

“The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region, in keeping with international law, must be restored at the earliest,” the MEA had said.

Earlier, two Indian seafarers were reported missing after the tanker MT Petro Dolphin, carrying 11 Indian crew members, came under a drone attack at Sohar Anchorage in Oman on October 11, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said, adding that nine of the Indians had been rescued.

On October 6, India condemned the attack on MT On Peace off the coast of Oman, which was struck by a projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. As many as 12 crew members, including 11 Indian nationals, were injured in the attack.

–IANS

ksk/as

Related Posts

Delhi L-G invites citizens to visit ‘ecological wonder’ Baansera grasslands

New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena, on Friday, invited citizens to visit the restored grasslands on Yamuna floodplains at Baansera near Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi, and recalled the efforts over the past three years to nurture the “ecological wonder”.

Lauding the efforts of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) officials, in a post on social media platform X, the L-G also attached a short video capturing the images of transformation of the area and captioned Baansera – From Degradation to restoration as a green oasis”.

“Inspired by PM @narendramodi Ji’s towering vision of restoring 2.6 crore hectares of country’s degraded land by 2030, we took a baby step in Delhi on May 28, 2022, right after I took over as L-G,” he said.

“On a visit to a heavily degraded and polluted stretch along the Yamuna, opposite Sarai Kale Khan on the Ring Road, Baansera — abode of bamboos, was conceived. What followed was not only restoration, but reclamation & transformation, within a short span of 18 months, thanks to the painstaking efforts of Delhi Development Authority @official_dda,” the L-G wrote in a post on X.

Describing the DDA as the custodian of the Yamuna floodplains in Delhi, L-G Saxena said, “Today, with about 30,000 bamboo trees that stand more than 30 feet tall, amidst other indigenous trees and rolling landscape of green grass, flowers & water bodies, Baansera has emerged as a unique new recreational destination & an ecological wonder in Delhi.”

He added: “This baby step was a leap of faith towards enriching Delhi’s flora diversity. Baansera became fertile ground for the famed Lakadong Turmeric from Meghalaya, as also blooming Tulips.”

“Once a stinking stretch of land buried under lakhs of tonnes of garbage, construction & demolition waste and heavy encroachment, Baansera today is an oasis that houses bamboo plants emitting 30 per cent more Oxygen compared to other trees & restoring the degraded soil,” he wrote.

He said the newly-created water bodies, rolling grass lawns and recreational facilities like a restaurant, musical fountain, walking trails and children’s play area, today welcome visitors at Baansera.

“The park is now hosting social, cultural events like Kite Festival, Yoga events and even musical evenings. Baansera epitomises the remarkable healing of Yamuna floodplain with improved soil health & a richer landscape, reaffirming our belief that ecosystems can be revived through gentle natural processes. I appeal to all fellow Delhi residents to visit the Baansera park,” the L-G added.

–IANS

rch/khz

Afghanistan: WHO reports surge in acute respiratory disease

Kabul, March 6 (IANS) Afghanistan is grappling with acute respiratory disease challenges with children being the most affected, a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report has revealed stating that there is an alarming 54.1 per cent increase in acute respiratory diseases in the war-torn country in January 2025 compared to December 2024.

According to the WHO report, more than 206,000 people were infected with respiratory diseases during this period, out of which 506 lost their lives.

“One of the reasons for this disease could be the severe impact of environmental factors. The use of poor-quality fuel leads to various side effects, particularly affecting the respiratory system and increasing the spread of infectious diseases and pneumonia,” Munir Ahmad Kamal, a doctor by profession, told leading Afghan media outlet TOLOnews.

Meanwhile, doctors at Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital in Afghanistan said that 20 to 30 children suffering from respiratory diseases are being admitted to the hospital every day.

According to a 2024 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report, UNICEF with support from the World Bank has prepositioned medical supplies and heating materials in health facilities to ensure prompt medical attention for the people affected in Afghanistan to cope with the rising number of ARI cases.

The WHO is also working to improve the health and wellbeing of Afghans by preventing and reducing mortality, morbidity and disability besides strengthening health services.

As per WHO, Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are responsible for 15 per cent of all deaths of children aged less than five years worldwide.

WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. The organisation is responsible for providing leadership in global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.

–IANS

int/scor/as

Jharkhand protest: 4th round of govt-students talk today; agitators express hope for agreement

Ranchi, Aug 17 (IANS) The protest over irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) entered its 24th day on Monday.

Gathered in large numbers at Ranchi’s Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, students have been continuously demonstrating to press for their demands over strict action against examination irregularities. They have also called for a siege of the Chief Minister’s residence on August 20.

Meanwhile, a fourth round of talks between government representatives and the protesting students is scheduled for Monday. The future direction of the movement will become clear only after the dialogue between the government and the students.

Three rounds of talks had not resulted in any resolution.

Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who entered his 15th day of hunger strike, said that the students’ movement has received support from the entire state as well as from the country.

Speaking to IANS, Mahto said, “The students work very hard; they should not have to face paper leaks, they should not have to face cheating, and they should not have to face selling of jobs. There should be such a system, such reforms, and the government should give a guarantee that there will never be a paper leak in the future. I hope there is agreement on all these points, because I have seen many times in my life cancellations, and many times I have seen CID investigations; however, nothing substantial came out of it. We need reforms; a complete transformation of the education system.”

Prem Nayak, who is on a hunger strike, told IANS that while the government had invited them for talks several times previously, the discussions were evasive and inconclusive, adding that this time, too, they had little hope of resolution.

“This is the 14th day of my hunger strike and the 24th day of the sit-in. Our health is steadily deteriorating; we are unable to sit, walk, or sleep… It does not seem likely that we will be able to hold out for much longer,” he said.

Nayak stated that the government needs to take the matter seriously, as the students’ demands are legitimate.

“Therefore, the government should take immediate action and fulfil these demands. It is not too late yet; the protest has been conducted in a Gandhian manner so far. If the demands are not met, students could become aggressive in the future, and the government would have to bear the consequences. The government cannot be greater than the people,” he added.

Meanwhile, student leader Ravindra Paswan said, “We have high hopes for today’s meeting; all our demands should be met. We remain firm on our demands. We will continue our agitation until our demands are fulfilled. We received the invitation for talks through the CDO. We are going for the dialogue again today, but our demands remain non-negotiable; we will not compromise on them.”

“This is the 24th day of our indefinite sit-in protest. Four of our colleagues have been on a hunger strike for the past 12-13 days; two are hospitalised, while the other two are present at the protest site,” he stated.

Rahul Kranti, who is admitted at Sadar Hospital after his condition worsened due to the hunger strike, criticised the Hemant Soren government and said that due to its “incompetence”, students are suffering in Jharkhand.

Speaking to IANS, Kranti said, “Given the government’s attitude and the statements coming from it, we do not think the talks will be successful. Our demands include a CBI investigation, cancellation of the 11-13 JPSC examinations, cancellation of the CGL examination, and an investigation into all examinations conducted since 2019. We believe corruption has been found in all these examinations under both the Hemant-1 and Hemant-2 governments.”

–IANS

sd/dpb