Mumbai, March 22 -- Recalling a harrowing brush with death in the middle of the sea, Bikram Ghosh, a chief cook and one of the eight Indian survivors of the oil tanker MT Skylight attack, described the moments when a missile or drone struck their vessel earlier this month near the Strait of Hormuz amid the West Asia conflict.

The Palau-flagged oil tanker 'Skylight' was targeted in waters off the Musandam Governorate in Oman near the Strait on March 1 when the vessel was struck approximately five nautical miles north of Khasab Port.

Speaking after returning safely to Mumbai, Ghosh said the attack occurred in the early hours of the day, catching the crew completely off guard.

"On 1st March, around 7 am, our ship came under a drone or mis...