Oil Ship Prestige Falcon Sinks Off Oman Coast, 13 Indian Sailors Missing

A 117-meter-long oil ship Prestige Falcon sank 25 nautical miles off Oman’s coast near Duqm. As per the reports, 13 Indian sailors are among the ship crew who have gone missing after it capsized off Oman on July 17. This latest news has left many people wondering about the presence of Indian sailors on ships worldwide. It is believed that sailors of only three countries are skilled in this work. It includes Chinese, Filipinos and Indians. Many reports estimate that in the coming times, one Indian will be found out of every sailor in the world.

More than 90 per cent of the world’s goods are transported from one country to another through sea cargo ships. There are roughly about 2.5 lakh Indians in ship beds and tankers around the world who are either working as officers or as ship personnel. However, it should also be noted that this profession is much more challenging than other jobs. It also keeps you away from home for a long time.

At present, there are about 1.5 million sailors in the world. Most of them are from China. The Chinese people are often found on ships the Chinese flags. The Indian sailors are a bit different. They are found on ships across the world. The number of Indian seafarers has increased by almost 270 per cent in the last decade. The number of competency certificates issued for deck officers has increased by 85 per cent.

After China and the Philippines, India is the third largest provider of seafarers in the world. India’s ratio is currently 10 per cent in terms of the world while China’s is 33 percent. The Philippines’s position is just a little above India’s. As per the report of Times of India, around 2,50,000 Indian seafarers are serving on special cargo ships around the world.

India has a merchant marine fleet of around 1,500 vessels for overseas and coastal operations. According to the 2021 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Review, India ranks 19th globally in maritime transport. There are many institutes for this training in India, which produce about 5,000 new sailors every year. India has a strong educational infrastructure for training sailors, including merchant navy institutes and other maritime training centres.