After Mumbai seafarer’s death on missile-hit tanker, family writes to PM seeking help to bring back body

Solanki, who was working in the engine room at the time, was initially reported missing after the blast. He was later found near the hull breach and declared dead by the ship’s master.

Following the incident, the remaining 21 crew members abandoned the vessel and were rescued by another tanker. However, Solanki’s body remained onboard as the crew evacuated after the fire reignited.

Officials from V Ships said towing operations are still underway. “We will update as soon as the vessel safely reaches the port of refuge,” a company official said. The vessel has been under tow since March 2.

Emails accessed by The Indian Express show that on March 2, the shipping company informed officials at the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) that Solanki had been declared deceased following the explosion onboard the vessel. The next day, the company informed authorities that the tanker had been abandoned and was being towed towards Khor Fakkan or Fujairah, adding that it remained unmanned and could not be boarded due to safety concerns.

Concerned about the lack of information, Solanki’s sister Mitali, who is currently in Dubai, wrote to authorities on March 4 saying the family had received little clarity about what had happened.

“We are still without concrete information regarding Dixit Solanki’s status, and this uncertainty is causing our family immense distress,” she wrote in the email.

On the same day, officials from the Seamen’s Employment Office in Mumbai, which functions under the Directorate General of Shipping, wrote to the crewing agency asking it to provide regular updates to the family every two to three hours and to facilitate interaction between the family and crew members who were on board at the time of the incident.

In its latest update to the family on March 6, the ship’s management said 16 Indian crew members had returned to their hometowns, but Solanki’s mortal remains were still onboard the vessel, which continued to be towed in an unmanned condition.

The company said that “nobody can board the vessel for safety reasons” but assured the family that efforts were being made to expedite the repatriation process.

In their letters to the Prime Minister and Union ministers, Solanki’s family said they have not been unable to perform his last rites as his body has not yet been brought back to India.

“For a grieving family, this situation has caused unimaginable pain and anguish,” the letter states.

Solanki’s father, himself a seafarer, wrote that merchant shipping functions as the “second line of defence” for a country, noting that nearly 95 per cent of global trade moves through maritime routes.

“It is our humble submission that when a soldier sacrifices his life in the line of duty, the nation ensures that his mortal remains are brought back with honour and respect. In the same spirit, Indian seafarers who risk their lives sustaining the nation’s economic lifeline must receive similar recognition,” he wrote.

The family has urged the government to coordinate with international authorities and ensure that Solanki’s mortal remains are brought back to India at the earliest so they can perform his final rites.

When The Indian Express approached the V Ships Mumbai office in Oshiwara on March 9, officials declined to comment. The Directorate General of Shipping said it had not yet received any update from the company regarding Solanki’s remains.