What happened
According to a report by Dawn, the family of a 34-year-old Pakistani seafarer, Muhammad Hammad Obaida, is appealing for the return of his remains following a deadly attack on his vessel last month. Obaida was serving as a third engineer aboard the Panama-flagged oil tanker MT El Gaia when it came under fire on September 13 off the coast of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz.
The strike resulted in an engine room fire that killed Obaida and an Indian crew member, Sumit Kumar. Their remains were found days later during a crew headcount after the tanker was towed to an Omani port. While American and Iranian authorities traded blame over the assault, the bodies were placed in an Omani hospital mortuary awaiting DNA testing due to severe disfigurement.
Key facts
- Muhammad Hammad Obaida was a marine engineer who graduated from Glasgow University and had left home for work on September 6.
- His family in Pakistan, including his pregnant wife, three-year-old son, mother Ather Pervaiz, and brother Fawwad, learned of his death on September 26 through a colleague.
- The Foreign Office of Pakistan confirmed that the remains of both the Pakistani and Indian seafarers are currently in Oman awaiting DNA identification.
- Obaida's brother stated that despite contacting the Pakistani embassy in Oman, the Foreign Office, the Prime Minister, and the Sindh government, no authorities have collected a DNA sample from the family to process the identification.
- Specific details regarding the origin of the strike are not specified in the source; please check the official notice.
Why it matters
According to Dawn, procedural delays in gathering DNA samples have prevented Obaida's grieving family from repatriating his body for a burial. The situation highlights the administrative and logistical challenges faced by families of maritime workers affected by international conflicts near critical shipping routes.
Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 12, 2026 · Photo by Eric Stoynov on Unsplash