Two Indian-flagged vessels Shivalik and Nanda Devi carrying liquefied petroleum gas transited the Strait of Hormuz early on Saturday and are now en route to Mundra and Kandla ports in Gujarat, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Shipping, said at a media briefing. He reported that all Indian seafarers in the Persian Gulf region were safe and that no untoward incidents had been recorded in the previous 24 hours. Sinha added that 24 Indian-flagged vessels were positioned to the west of the strait. The two vessels are carrying about 92,700 tonnes (t) of LPG and were scheduled to reach Indian ports on March 16 and March 17. After their transit, 22 Indian-flagged vessels remained on the western side with a total of 611 seafarers. Indian maritime authorities are maintaining communication with ship owners, Recruitment and Placement Service Licence agencies and Indian missions abroad to monitor movements and ensure crew safety. The Directorate General of Shipping and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways are coordinating with stakeholders and have issued standard operating procedures to prioritise vessels carrying LPG amid supply pressure. Officials said six LPG carriers arriving from various parts of the world were granted priority berthing and six vessels were provided safe anchorage. The vessel Jag Prakash departed Sohar in Oman with gasoline and was expected to reach Tanga in Tanzania on March 21. Sinha said that 30 seafarers had been repatriated to India in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 253. Officials noted a sharp rise in consumer bookings for LPG, describing panic booking as excessively high, with figures previously at approximately seven point five to seven point six mn rising to nearly eight point eight mn. The petroleum ministry said crude supplies and refinery operations remained stable, that retail outlets had not reported stockouts, and that GAIL had been advised to work with city gas distribution operators to expedite piped natural gas connections for affected commercial consumers.