New Delhi, March 11 -- A total of 28 India-flagged ships with 778 Indian seafarers are stranded in the Persian Gulf region due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the government said on Wednesday.

Of these, 24 vessels are located west of the strait, while the rest are in the east, officials said, adding that their safety and security are being actively monitored by the government.

"A total of 24 Indian-flagged vessels with 677 Indian seafarers are currently located to the west of the Strait of Hormuz, while four vessels with 101 Indian seafarers are to the east of the crucial waterway," Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary in the shipping ministry told reporters.

Indians constitute almost 12% of the global seafaring workforce, wi...