YaHind.Com News Desk
Sharjah, UAE, July 9, 2025 – Anurag Tiwari, a 33-year-old marine engineer from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, died under mysterious circumstances on June 29, 2025, aboard the Panama-flagged vessel JANA 505 docked at Sharjah Port, UAE. His family has alleged negligence by the ship’s management and is demanding an independent investigation into the incident.
Tiwari, employed as a third engineer by Synergy Ship Arabia (SSA) through Mumbai-based Avishka Shipping Pvt Ltd, was found unconscious in the ship’s engine room just hours after joining the crew on June 28. Despite CPR attempts by crew members and medical evacuation to a hospital, he was declared dead. A UAE forensic report cited heatstroke leading to multi-organ failure as the cause of death, corroborated by SSA in an email to the family. However, discrepancies in the initial reports—claiming Tiwari collapsed on the deck before revising it to the engine room—have fueled suspicions.
Anil Kumar Tiwari, Anurag’s father and a former UPPCL officer, questioned why his son was sent alone into the engine room, a confined space with potential for toxic gas exposure and poor ventilation, possibly violating safety protocols. “Anurag told us no one would go in alone,” Anil told Khaleej Times, alleging that toxic gases and extreme heat may have contributed to his son’s death. He has demanded a toxicology report and a thorough probe into SSA’s adherence to standard operating procedures during the vessel’s commissioning.
Anurag, a six-time gold medalist in swimming and an alumnus of AMET University’s Naval Architecture and Offshore Engineering program, had joined the crew in Dubai on June 19 and was tasked with commissioning the JANA 505, a jack-up platform owned by a Saudi conglomerate. His father highlighted Anurag’s video call on June 28, where he expressed anxiety about the challenging task but showed no signs of distress. The family, left with a 30-year-old widow, a three-year-old child, and unanswered questions, received no immediate support from SSA, prompting Anil to appeal for help on X, tagging External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
The Indian Embassy in Dubai facilitated the repatriation of Anurag’s body, which arrived in Lucknow on July 5 and was cremated that evening. The Directorate General of Shipping has urged intervention, but the family continues to seek clarity. “We suspect SOPs were not followed,” Anil told Times of India, emphasizing the need for an impartial investigation to uncover the truth behind his son’s sudden death.
The case has drawn attention to the risks faced by Indian maritime workers and the need for stricter safety compliance in international shipping. YaHind.Com will follow updates on this developing story.
Sources: Agencies
