US-Iran war: A 25-year-old man, a native of Diu, who had currently been residing in Mumbai, was among the three Indian nationals killed in the Iranian attacks on two merchant vessels in waters off the Oman coast earlier this week. The incident marks a grave escalation in regional hostilities.

The man who met the ill-fate has been identified as Dixit Solanki (25). He was aboard the MKD Vyom vessel, when it was hit by a projectile. The Indian embassy in Muscat confirmed his demise in a post uploaded on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), and added that it is in touch with the Omani authorities for the early and safe repatriation of crew members.

Attack transpires near Muscat Coast

The MKD Vyom had been flying the flag of the Marshall Island and was reportedly targeted by a drone board, located around 52 nautical miles off the Muscat governorate. The vessel was en route to Port Sultan Qaboos when the untoward incident took place. The strike triggered a fire and an explosion in the vessel’s main engine room. 

Solanki was a native of Diu, had moved to Mumbai later

Solanki was a native of Bhavsarvada in Diu and had shifted to Mumbai later. He resided in the city’s Kandivali area and was the youngest son in his family. His father Amritlal Solanki runs a fishing business. Notably, Solanki had arrived in Mumbai just a month ago to attend his mother’s final rites. Reportedly, his sister resides in Dubai currently.

Second vessel was hit near Musandam

Another similar incident unfolded near the Musandam Peninsula, where two Indian nationals aboard the tanker Skylight lost their lives after being targeted by Iranian forces in waters. Notably, the attacks come in the thick of the retaliatory strikes by Iran after a joint US-Israel offensive.