Mangaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): An LPG cargo ship from the US arrived at the New Mangalore Port on Sunday, amid the supply constraints due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.

The vessel "Pyxis Pioneer", which left Port of Nederland in Texas on February 14, brought 16,714 metric tonnes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for discharge to Aegis Logistics, officials said.

The vessel follows the Russian "Aqua Titan" ship in reaching the port within the span of a day. 

The development is considered significant as Mangaluru is home to India's largest underground LPG storage facility, which became operational in September 2025. The storage facility, located 225 metres below sea level, has a capacity of 80,000 metric tonnes. 

In an earlier development, a Russian crude oil tanker named "Aqua Titan", originally headed to China, was diverted to India a few days ago. The ship arrived off the Mangaluru coast on Saturday evening carrying 7.7 lakh barrels of crude oil. 

The crude is reportedly being unloaded via an offshore pipeline connected to a jetty 12 nautical miles from the shore to the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL).

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Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Senior Congress leader V D Satheesan on Sunday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's urgent intervention in view of reports of the death of two people from Kerala and the disappearance of another in flash floods in Oman.

In his letter, Satheesan expressed deep concern over the tragic incident that occurred on Saturday, claiming the lives of Yusuf and Shamla, natives of Trithala in Kerala.

"I write to you with deep concern regarding the tragic flash floods that struck Oman on Saturday, resulting in the loss of two lives and leaving one woman from Kerala still missing," Satheesan said in the letter.

The woman identified as Ramla also belongs to Trithala.

According to reports, the victims were travelling in a vehicle when it was caught in a sudden flash flood in Oman's Al Batinah Governorate.

Satheesan urged the Centre to take immediate steps to coordinate with Omani authorities to expedite and strengthen the ongoing search and rescue operations, especially in view of the continuing heavy rains and flood risk in the region.

He, in the letter, also requested all possible assistance to ensure the safety of those affected and to support the families of the victims.