Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 11 (ANI): The family of Aditya Sharma, an Indian seafarer confirmed dead after an attack on the Palau-flagged vessel MT Settebello near the Strait of Hormuz, is appealing to government officials to repatriate his mortal remains.

A total of 24 Indian crew members were onboard MT Settebello, and officials confirmed that 21 were rescued, while three died in the alleged US attack. Aditya Sharma, a native of Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, was serving as a deck cadet on the vessel.

Speaking to reporters, Sharma's father, Rajesh Sharma, demanded a formal investigation into the ship's captain and the circumstances that led to the death of his son, along with two crew members.

'I appeal to MP Anurag Thakur, CM Sukhu, EAM Dr S Jaishankar and PM Modi to help me get the mortal remains of my child. I want to know what the circumstances were that led to the death of three people. It must be investigated why the Captain of the ship decided to take the ship towards the risk zone?

Sharma's cousin requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Shipping, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, and Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur to expedite the return of his mortal remains.

Sharma's cousin raised sharp questions regarding accountability for the alleged US attack that claimed the lives of three crew members, and also demanded transparency, asking whether the crew had been informed beforehand that the vessel would be sailing through the Strait of Hormuz.

'The Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed his death along with two other people. Who is accountable for this? Will the US govt take responsibility for it? An attack on a commercial vessel is against humanity. I request the Ministry of Shipping, our MP Anurag Thakur, CM Sukhu and PM Modi to bring back the mortal remains of our family member as soon as possible...Why did the Captain of the ship not stop the vessel? Did the ship company take written consent from crew members whether or not they were willing to sail through the Strait of Hormuz? Did the Master try to deboard the seafarers who don't want to sail through the Strait of Hormuz?' he said.

Sharma's family members were left shattered and broke into tears while speaking to reporters after the confirmation of his death. They have demanded an inquiry into the incident and sought the seafarer's mortal remains.

Another family member said, 'There is only one demand: we want to know with whose permission the captain took the ship forward. We demand that Anurag Thakur and the Himachal government conduct an inquiry and find those responsible. Our heart is shattered.'

Aditya Sharma's uncle said, 'Yesterday, my brother called and told he (Aditya) was missing. I came to Jalandhar. We tried coordinating with the company the whole night, and they cooperated as well. However, they were not revealing anything. He was on probation and was working for six months. Around 1:30-2 am, we got the news. We wish to receive his last remains soon. We demand that our MP, Himachal Pradesh and the External Affairs Ministry bring back his mortal remains. We also seek information about whether there was an attempt to rescue him or not.'

Earlier today, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of three Indian seafarers, saying the government stands firmly with the bereaved families and is committed to all necessary assistance.

In a post shared on X, Sonowal described the incident as a 'profound loss' for India's maritime community and confirmed that the seafarers, initially reported missing, have now been declared dead after recovery efforts.

'It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello. Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after two bodies were recovered. This is a profound loss to our maritime family. The Modi Govt stands firmly with the bereaved during this difficult hour and is fully committed to supporting the next of kin,' the post read.

He added that immediate steps have been initiated for the repatriation process.'I have directed officials to ensure immediate repatriation of the rescued crew members and swift return of the mortal remains of the deceased for their final rites,' Sonowal added. (ANI)