"Fake report has been spreading": FSUI General Secretary Manoj Yadav denies claims of Indian Sailors killed on Liaki Freedom Vessel
New Delhi, June 13
Forward Seamen's Union of India General Secretary Manoj Yadav on Saturday dismissed reports claiming that four Indian sailors were killed in an overnight attack on the MT Liaki Freedom vessel, calling it misinformation and warning about the wider impact of fake news in the maritime sector.
Speaking about the situation to ANI, he said, "A fake report has been spreading since last night that 4 Indian sailors were killed on the MT Liaki Freedom vessel. We contacted the ship directly. The Ministry of External Affairs has also stated that no such incident has taken place."
Highlighting concerns over misinformation and safety of Indian sailors, he added, "Today you are seeing that we have already lost 3 Indian sailors. In between 18000 to 20,000 Indian sailors are currently stranded in that region. Because of maritime misinformation, there is an atmosphere of tension everywhere. It's not just the sailors there is fear among Indians as well."
Yadav further stressed the need for government intervention, saying, "Thousands of Indian sailors are stranded in West Asia. People have the means to spread information, and in such a situation, misinformation has a huge impact. It is very important to see what steps the Government of India and DG Shipping will take in such a situation."
He also pointed out the lack of a proper response mechanism, stating, "There is no 24/7 contact or verification system for such cases. You can see that in every sector there is an emergency contact helpline, but in the merchant navy sector there is no such team or number that people can contact. There should be a permanent coordination committee to share important information and to refute any fake news after verification. I have raised this demand with the Government of India on behalf of the Forward Seamen's Union of India."
Meanwhile, India has spoken to the Master of the vessel Liaki Freedom, who confirmed that the crew members are safe, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday.
The MEA flagged the previous inputs as false reports and said, "We have spoken with the Master of the vessel Liaki Freedom, who has confirmed that all crew members are safe and that the reported information is false."
The clarification by the Ministry of External Affairs comes shortly after it was falsely reported that several media outlets that Indians had been killed in an overnight attack on the vessel Liaki Freedom, off Oman.
According to vesseltracker.com, Liaki Freedom is a Marshall Islands-flagged tankship.
In a post on X, MEA Fact Check also warned people to stay alert against such false and baseless claims and posts on social media.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Sad that we live in times where you can’t trust news until the government confirms. The FSUI guy is absolutely right—there should be a 24/7 verification system. Imagine the trauma for families thinking their loved ones are dead because of some fake update. 😤
I work in shipping and this is unfortunately common. The Red Sea/Gulf of Oman region has become incredibly dangerous due to Houthi attacks. While fake news is terrible, the underlying problem—Indian sailors in harm’s way without proper crisis management—needs immediate attention. Kudos to FSUI for pushing for a permanent coordination committee.
Fake news is a menace, but let’s also acknowledge the MEA did quick work here—contacted the ship master directly and debunked within hours. That’s efficient. However, the gap of 24/7 helpline is real. These sailors are our own, earning foreign exchange for the country. We owe them better infrastructure.
The fact that 18,000-20,000 sailors are stranded in a conflict zone is a national security concern. We talk about evacuating students from Ukraine, but what about our seafarers? FSUI’s demand for a permanent coordination committee is practical and urgent. Hope DG Shipping listens.
Honestly, both sides need to do better. Media should verify before publishing, and government should have a system in place. My cousin is a sailor and we’ve had sleepless nights over such rumours. It’s not funny anymore. Respect to Manoj Yadav for speaking up. 🇮🇳
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.