I survived a missile strike in the Strait of Hormuz, but my friend has not been found

I survived a missile strike in the Strait of Hormuz, but my friend has not been found

I survived a missile strike - Sunil Puniya, 26, recalls the moment the Skylight, a US-sanctioned oil tanker, was struck by a missile in the early hours of 1 March. The vessel had departed Dubai and was approaching the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor. At the time, Sunil was asleep in his cabin on the third floor, unaware of the chaos to come. “I felt the ship tremble, and I thought there was a mechanical failure,” he said. But as he emerged onto the deck, the reality of the situation became clear—another explosion had shattered the calm.

The attack targeted the engine room, igniting a fire that spread swiftly. “There was total darkness, and smoke filled the air,” Sunil described. “People were struggling to breathe, and panic set in.” Among the crew, some sailors from South India were overcome with emotion, calling their families in distress. Sunil, trying to remain calm, urged them to pause. “I told them to stop crying and helped them reach the deck,” he said. Yet, by the time they arrived, the flames were already encroaching. “Oil spilled everywhere, and we had no choice but to leap into the sea,” he added.

“As soon as I realised Dalip wasn’t there, that’s when it hit me,” Sunil said. “I started panicking. I kept thinking: how will I answer to his family?”

Dalip Rathore, 25, had joined the Skylight just a day before Sunil. The two men, from neighboring villages in Rajasthan, had quickly formed a bond. “He became like a brother,” Sunil said. Dalip had taken over Sunil’s watch in the engine room hours before the strike, the very area hit by the missile. Both Dalip and the ship’s captain, Ashish Kumar, perished in the attack. While some fragments of the captain’s body were recovered, Dalip’s remains remain missing.

A broader crisis unfolding in the Strait of Hormuz

The incident is part of a growing pattern in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway critical to global energy supplies. Since the US-Israel conflict with Iran escalated, maritime tensions have intensified. According to Kpler, a maritime intelligence firm, 38 commercial vessels have been damaged or attacked in and around the strait. Of these, 24 were struck by Iran, four by the US, and the rest remain unconfirmed. The disruption has left hundreds of ships unable to navigate the channel, with over 20,000 seafarers currently stranded in the Gulf, as reported by the International Maritime Organization.

For seafarers, the situation has become dire. Many face unpaid wages, unresolved contractual disputes, and a lack of basic necessities. The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), a union supporting maritime workers, has received more than 2,000 emergency calls since the conflict began. Mohamed Arrachedi, the ITF’s network coordinator for the Arab world and Iran, shared voice notes from three seafarers trapped on a small boat near Oman. In one recording, a man pleaded: “We’re running out of food and water. We haven’t heard from our owners for months.” The ITF defines abandonment as when shipowners leave crews stranded, denying them pay and essential supplies.

Last year, 6,223 seafarers were abandoned across 409 vessels, according to ITF records. This figure highlights a systemic issue in the shipping industry. Under maritime law, shipowners are legally obligated to ensure the safety and repatriation of their crews. If they fail, the responsibility shifts to the vessel’s flag state and, in extreme cases, local port authorities. However, with the Strait of Hormuz now a war zone, this legal framework has been tested. Some ship owners have managed to provide supplies, using small boats to deliver food and necessities to anchored vessels. Others, however, have been left to fend for themselves.

Sunil’s story mirrors the struggles of many. He described how the crew had to rely on each other during the crisis, as communication systems failed and the ship’s infrastructure collapsed. “The atmosphere was chaotic, and we were all in survival mode,” he said. The Oman Navy launched a rapid rescue operation, saving dozens of lives from the sea. But the loss of Dalip and the captain remains a haunting reminder of the human toll of the conflict.

The Strait of Hormuz, which sees over 20% of the world’s oil and liquified natural gas pass through, has become a focal point of the region’s instability. When the war began, Tehran swiftly disrupted the waterway, halting traffic and forcing ships to reroute. This has created a bottleneck, exacerbating the challenges for those working on the vessels. For Sunil, the event marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life, one defined by grief and a sense of urgency to find answers.

As the conflict continues, the fate of Dalip Rathore lingers over the crew’s ordeal. His absence has left Sunil questioning how to explain the loss to his family. “I feel responsible,” he said. “He was there for me when I needed support, and now I’m left without him.” The emotional weight of the incident underscores the personal stories behind the statistics, reminding the world that the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is not just about oil and geopolitics—it is about lives disrupted and families left in the dark.

Challenges for stranded seafarers

With the war raging, stranded crews are now facing an extended period of uncertainty. Some have been marooned for weeks, their vessels anchored in the strait without clear plans for departure. “We’re stuck here, waiting for help that never comes,” said one voice note shared by the ITF. The organization has been working tirelessly to connect stranded workers with aid, but resources are limited. “It’s a small proportion of the 100,000 seafarers at sea, but the impact is enormous,” Arrachedi explained.

The abandonment of seafarers has also raised concerns about worker rights. Many sailors are now forced to endure harsh conditions without proper compensation or support. “The industry has not yet solved the problem of crew abandonment,” Arrachedi said. “It’s a cancer that keeps spreading, and we’re seeing it in real time.” The ITF has warned that without immediate intervention, the situation could worsen, with more seafarers facing the risk of prolonged displacement.

For Sunil, the experience has been both traumatic and transformative. He now serves as a voice for his fellow sailors, advocating for better support systems. “We need to ensure no one is left behind,” he said. “This wasn’t just an accident—it was a war, and we’re paying the price.” As the search for Dalip continues, Sunil’s words carry the weight of a community struggling to survive in a region where every day feels like a battle for survival. The stories of those like him are critical to understanding the full scale of the crisis, a crisis that has turned the once-thriving Strait of Hormuz into a place of uncertainty and loss.