India, March 13 -- Deonandan Prasad Singh, an additional chief engineer (superintendent), of MT Safesea Vishnu, died on Wednesday following an attack on the Marshall Island-flagged tanker. The incident occurred during ship-to-ship cargo loading operations near the Khor Al Zubair Port, near Basra, Iraq, amid ongoing strife in the region. This was confirmed through a press note issued by the directorate general of shipping.

The tanker, which was carrying around 48,000 metric tonnes of naphtha, was struck by an unidentified object. Preliminary reports indicate that a white-coloured unmanned speedboat carrying explosives approached the vessel from the starboard side and rammed into it, resulting in a major fire onboard.

Singh, a native of B...