Gopalganj/Patna: A family in Bihar’s Gopalganj district has been plunged into mourning after a young merchant navy engineer was reportedly killed during an alleged Iranian missile attack while working aboard a ship in Saudi Arabia.
The incident comes amid renewed hostilities between Iran and the United States, with both sides reportedly carrying out missile and drone strikes.
According to the family, Rohan Kumar Gupta, also known as Sonu Gupta, died after a missile struck the vessel on which he was deployed. The circumstances of his death have not been independently verified.
Family Alleges Missile Strike
Rohan was the son of Sanjay Prasad Gupta, a businessman from Videshi Tola village in Thawe block of Gopalganj district.
His family said they were informed that he was killed after the vessel came under an Iranian missile attack.
The news has left the family devastated, while grief has spread across the village as relatives, neighbours and well-wishers gathered to console them.
Father Recalls Years Of Sacrifice
Speaking after his son’s death, Sanjay Prasad Gupta said he financed Rohan’s education by running a footwear and general store in Thawe market.
He enrolled his son in a marine engineering college in Kolkata in 2016. After completing his studies in 2020, Rohan secured employment through campus placement.
According to his father, Rohan initially worked in China before serving as a merchant navy engineer on ships operating in several Gulf countries.
Career Took Him To The Gulf
The family said Rohan later joined Dubai-based company Albayah Aden as a permanent ship engineer and was deployed aboard a vessel operating in the Gulf region.
His parents had hoped he would build a successful career and become the family’s main source of support.
Those hopes were shattered when news of his death reached home.
Village In Mourning
The family’s general store and footwear shop in Thawe market remained closed as a mark of mourning.
Members of the local business community, relatives and residents visited the family to express their condolences.
The family is now awaiting the repatriation of Rohan’s mortal remains to India so that his last rites can be performed.
Authorities have not yet issued an official statement confirming the exact circumstances of the incident. The claim that Rohan died in an Iranian missile strike is based on information provided by his family.
