India urges seafarers and owners to avoid Syria

India has advised its seafarers to avoid travelling to Syria following the downfall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Shipowners have been told they should avoid the country’s ports and reschedule crew change operations to other countries.

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“Any prior commitments and obligations with respect to crew changes in Syria should be immediately re-evaluated and postponed forthwith,” according to a notice from the directorate general of shipping.

The directorate also encouraged owners to enhance security measures on board including running safety drills in case of “unforeseen incidents”.

It said seafarers should stay away from Syria until further notice.

“Given the unpredictable situation, the vessel owners and the vessel agents are also advised to avoid berthing vessels at ports in Syria, as far as possible and practicable to prevent any potential risks or uncertainties that could affect the safety and integrity of the vessel and its crew on board,” said the notice.

It said loading and discharge operations should take place at other ports in the region that are currently “stable and safe for maritime activities”.

The notice issued Sunday followed the storming of Damascus by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group and the reported flight of Assad to Russia.

TankerTrackers has reported that an Iranian-owned suezmax pulled out of a trip to Syria and made a U-turn in the Gulf of Suez.

The 160,000-dwt Lotus (built 2000) had been due to deliver 750,000 barrels of Iranian crude to Syria but was returning to Iran, it reported.