Jaipur, Mar 5 (PTI) Anxiety and grief have gripped the family of a Rajasthani sailor who went missing when a private company oil tanker was struck near Oman amid the escalating West Asia crisis.
They are clinging to fading hope while also bracing up for possibility of the worst.
Dalip Singh, a resident of Khinwatana village in Nagaur district, has been untraceable since March 1 when the ship was struck near Khasab Port off Oman.
Singh had got back to duty on the vessel on January 22 and was in the forward section of the ship along with another crew member, Ashish Kumar from Bihar, at the time of the attack.
Kumar’s body has been identified, while Dalip’s whereabouts are still unknown, a family member said.
With every passing hour, anticipation is building in the quiet village as relatives gather at the family home, offering comfort while awaiting official confirmation.
“I received a call from the Indian Embassy today. The officer informed us that Ashish Kumar has been identified but the search for Dalip is still going on,” Dalip’s cousin Devendra Singh told PTI.
“We also spoke to company officials. They said the search operation is still on,” he said.
However, a fellow crew member from a nearby village who was on the same vessel, Sunil Kumar, indicated that Dalip may have also died in the attack.
“Sunil has given us indications that Dalip might also have died, but until we get official confirmation, we are still holding on to hope,” Devendra said, adding that the family has begun preparing itself for a possible tragedy.
Dalip’s mother has been inconsolable since the news of the attack reached the village, while his father, a heart patient with poor eyesight, has been struggling to cope with the uncertainty.
Dalip’s younger brother Manoj is currently in college and preparing for competitive examinations. According to the family, Dalip had returned home after nearly a year and had only recently got back to duty on January 22.
“Dalip was the sole earning member of the family. We had begun discussing his marriage and were planning to conduct it by his next visit to the village,” Devendra Singh said. PTI SDA RUK RUK RUK
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