Incidents in the maritime sector involving Indian seafarers, and  foreign vessels in Indian waters rose by 21.6 per cent in 2024 to 186, highlighting the need to strengthen safety frameworks.

Photograph: Fawaz Salman/Reuters

According to India’s shipping regulator Directorate General (DG) of Shipping, the incidents resulted in 83 deaths and 61 injuries.

“The majority of deaths were linked to other casualties, highlighting the need for crew welfare focus.

“Timely reporting and preventive actions remain crucial to minimise risks and safeguard lives.

“Continuous monitoring and corrective measures are essential to strengthen maritime safety standards,” DG Shipping said in its Maritime Safety Investigation Report 2024.

The report, which covers serious events involving Indian-flagged vessels, Indian seafarers serving globally, and foreign vessels operating in Indian waters, found that there was a minor increase in marine casualties and a major spike in non-operational incidents.

“During the reporting period, we observed a concerning number of incidents.

“These trends point to the urgent need for stricter compliance with safety management systems, more rigorous audits of vessel preparedness, and continued investment in human element training, particularly in shipboard risk awareness,” said director general of shipping Shyam Jagannathan.

In maritime parlance, a marine casualty refers to incidents with serious injuries or death of a person, loss of a person from a ship, loss or abandonment of a ship, material damage to a ship, the stranding or disabling of a ship, or its involvement in a collision, and material damage to marine infrastructure or the environment.

Non-operational incidents may occur ashore or onboard and are not necessarily caused by navigational or operational failures, but still pose risks to crew safety and shipboard continuity.

The report shows that 10 incidents of vessel collision involving Indian stakeholders took place in 2024, leading to 3 deaths, as against five in 2023, while three incidents of sinking occurred in 2024, against zero in 2023.

These incidents led to four deaths. Occupational casualties were the highest reported marine incident.

An occupational incident refers to injuries, fatalities, or safety breaches not caused by external marine factors — such as falls, equipment failure, confined space accidents, or electrical shock.

These are frequently linked to non-compliance with shipboard safety protocols.

The report said that Indian-flagged vessels were involved in just one fire/explosion case, down from seven in 2023.

“Only 4 of the 47 occupational incidents involved Indian-flagged vessels, accounting for just 8.5 per cent of the total.

“Bulk carriers, container vessels and oil tankers were the most frequently involved in marine casualties,” it said.

These vessel types dominate global trade routes and often operate under tight schedules, increasing their exposure to navigational and mechanical risks.

No major pollution incidents were reported during the year, despite an overall rise in casualties, the report said.