The rising tensions in the West Asian region have affected an Indian family from the Gopalganj district of Bihar. The Indian seafarer Rohan Kumar died last Tuesday when two Emirati oil tankers became the targets of a missile attack in the volatile Strait of Hormuz. While India lodges a protest at the highest level of diplomacy against Iran, the family of Rohan is left in shock, awaiting for the return of the body of their beloved son.
From Bihar to the sea: The story of Rohan Kumar
The 31-year-old Rohan Kumar belonged to a family of three brothers and was the main breadwinner for his family in Gopalganj. With his hardworking spirit, Rohan created a successful career for himself in the merchant navy to make his family’s future bright.
On June 8, 2026, Rohan left for his duty on his family vacation, which lasted for four months. Rohan made a promise to his family that he will come back to join his family after completing his voyage in four months.
“My brother had stayed with us for a few months during a vacation and returned to his job, promising to rejoin the family after completing this contract of voyage in four months. Now we are waiting for his mortal remains to reach,” said Manish Kumar, Rohan’s eldest brother.
The deep grief was expressed by his father, Sanjay Kumar Gupta: “Rohan was working hard to earn for the family. But his dreams have been shattered now.”
The attack: Missile strikes on MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa
A tragic event occurred in Omani territorial waters located in the southern passage of the Strait of Hormuz. Two merchant tankers having the flag of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa—were targeted with cruise missiles, causing the fire to break out on these ships.
Casualties: Rohan Kumar died on the spot due to the strikes he experienced working on the MT Al Bahiyah. Ten other Indians were injured by the twin missile attacks; some two of them are now critically ill.
The notification: The Kumar family got the notification early on Tuesday morning at 5:00 AM via a telephone call by a high-ranking officer working for the shipping company.
Gopalganj District Magistrate (DM) Sameer Saurabh confirmed the news and said that the government officials will visit the Kumar family. Necessary documents will be filled out in order to cooperate with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) concerning repatriation of Rohan’s body.
India wants accountability and summons Iranian ambassadors
This attack has led to an intense diplomatic conflict between India and Iran. India summoned the senior Iranian diplomats, including the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) Mohammad Javad Hosseini, in protest of this attack.
In addition, the MEA asked for a total halt of unilateral attacks to the commercial ships. Civilian sailors should not become hostages of the geopolitical tensions, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The UAE Ministry of Defence said that emergency response teams managed to extinguish the ship fires caused by the missile.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply