Three Detained Oil Tankers Drift and Run Aground Off Mumbai's Manori Coast
On Sunday, severe monsoon weather and strong winds off the coast of north Mumbai forced three detained merchant tankers to drag their anchors, pushing two towards the Manori coast and causing one unmanned vessel to run aground. The incident triggered a major maritime security, salvage, and pollution-monitoring operation by the Indian Coast Guard and the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping).
The Directorate General of Shipping issued an emergency alert to the Indian Coast Guard after the three vessels—the Nicaragua-flagged MT Al Jafzia, the Mali-flagged MT Asphalt Star, and the Iran-flagged MT Stellar Ruby—dragged their anchors from their designated holding areas.
In response, the Indian Coast Guard mobilised regional assets. The advanced offshore patrol vessel ICGS Samrat was diverted to the area to establish visual contact, evaluate structural risks, and provide maritime assistance. Additionally, DG Shipping deployed the emergency towing vessel (ETV) Water Lily to offer heavy-weather towing and salvage support.
To prevent potential environmental fallout along the heavily trafficked coast, the specialized pollution control vessel ICGS Samudra Prahari was also deployed to maintain a strict vigil.
Following the intervention, the MT Asphalt Star and MT Stellar Ruby were successfully anchored and stabilised. The crew members onboard both vessels were reported safe and secure.
However, the MT Al Jafzia, which was unmanned, is presumed to have run aground after striking the seabed. The vessel had been left completely unmanned following an order from the Bombay High Court to repatriate approximately 50 stranded seafarers who had been abandoned by the ships' overseas owners under severe humanitarian distress.
The three tankers have been under Indian state custody since February 2026, when they were intercepted by the Indian Coast Guard about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai. The vessels, which are linked to Iran and sanctioned by the United States, were seized for operating in violation of international sanctions by executing illicit mid-sea ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian bitumen and petroleum products.
An FIR was registered against the shipowners and eight others at the Yellow Gate police station on February 15, and the vessels were subsequently handed over to the local police. Coast Guard assets and emergency towing crews remain on high alert to monitor the structural integrity of the vessels.
