Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The Pyxis Pioneer, a Singapore-flagged cargo vessel carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from Texas in the United States, docked at New Mangalore Port in Karnataka’s Mangaluru on Sunday.Click here for live updates on Middle East crisis The tanker, built in 2019, arrived a day after the Aqua Titan, which is transporting 1.1 lakh tonnes of Urals crude, reached the port. The Aqua Titan had initially set sail from Primorsk in Russia for Rizhao Port in China before diverting to India.On Friday, the Shipping Ministry said that New Mangalore Port has waived cargo-related charges for crude oil and LPG between March 14 and 31 amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.Also Read | Watch: Missile strike rocks Israel’s ‘Little India’ as Iran attack injures over 40; videos show chaos Earlier this week, three Indian-flagged vessels — Shivalik, Nanda Devi, and Jag Laadki — docked at Gujarat’s Mundra Port carrying LPG. While Shivalik arrived on Monday, Nanda Devi and Jag Laadki reached on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.On February 28, the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, triggering the current conflict. In response, Iran has carried out retaliatory attacks on Israeli territory and on Gulf states hosting U.S. military bases. Tehran has also effectively disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical global chokepoint through which around 20% of the world’s oil supply passes — raising concerns over energy security and global markets.Also Read | Under the sea: How Iran’s invisible fleet of ‘midget submarines’ is turning Strait of Hormuz into danger zone‘All Indian ships and sailors safe’ At Friday’s interministerial briefing on Friday, shipping ministry special secretary Rajesh Kumar Sinha said all 22 Indian ships and 611 sailors in the Persian Gulf are safe amid the ongoing conflict.“There has been no report of any maritime incident in the last 24 hours. All our 22 ships and 611 Indian sailors in the Persian Gulf region are safe, and we are continuously monitoring them… There is no congestion in any port… New Mangalore Port has issued a circular for waiver of all cargo-related charges for crude and LPG from March 14 to 31,” Sinha told reporters.Also Read | Iran invasion next? Pentagon plans for deployment of US troops on ground – reportMeanwhile, the petroleum ministry noted panic booking of LPG cylinders has eased significantly, with 55 lakh bookings reported on Thursday.“There is no panic booking now. Only 55 lakh LPG bookings were reported yesterday. There is adequate stock available, and no outlets are running dry,” joint secretary Sujata Sharma said at the briefing.However, she acknowledged that concerns persist.
