Bhagalpur (Bihar), March 13 A marine engineer from Bhagalpur district in Bihar was killed in an attack during the ongoing conflict in West Asia, his relatives claimed on Friday.
The deceased, Devanandan Singh (52), was a resident of Rani Bamia village in the district's Sonhaula block.
Singh was travelling to India aboard a Thai vessel when it came under attack near the Strait of Hormuz around 2:30 am on Wednesday, family members said.
Singh was the vice-chairman of Bravo Ship Management Company and was based in Mumbai.
His brother, Krishnanandan Prasad Singh, said the family was informed about the incident on Thursday morning.
"A company official called us around 5 am and informed us about the attack and my brother's death," he said.
According to the family, the vessel carrying Singh was allegedly targeted by an Iranian "suicidal ship" during the hostilities in the region.
In an attempt to save his life, Singh jumped into the sea, they said.
"Rescue teams tried their best to save him, but they could not succeed," Singh said.
Singh and other family members left for Delhi after receiving the information.
Singh is survived by a son and a daughter. His son, who lives in the United States, has also left for India after learning about the incident, relatives said.
Despite repeated attempts, the Bhagalpur district magistrate could not be reached for comments, while the ADM said he was unaware of the incident.