New Delhi, March 19 -- There is no change in the situation of 22 Indian-flagged vessels operating around the west of the Strait of Hormuz, while all 611 sailors onboard are safe, the Ministry of Shipping said on Thursday.

In an inter-ministerial briefing, Special Secretary of the Shipping Ministry, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, said that 16 Indian sailors have returned in the last 24 hours amid the conflict in West Asia.

The Special Secretary also lauded the Deendayal Port Authority, Kandla, for creating additional storage capacity and allowing a 50 per cent rebate to port users.

Addressing the media briefing, Sinha said, "Sailors and vessels under the Indian flag are all safe. No maritime incident reported in the Gulf region in the last 24 hour...