Final Farewell: Seafarer Aditya Sharma, Victim of US Airstrike, Cremated in Native Village
Final Farewell: Seafarer Aditya Sharma, Victim of US Airstrike, Cremated in Native Village
Hamirpur, June 18
Amid scenes of grief and heartbreak, 23-year-old Aditya Sharma, who lost his life in a US airstrike near the Gulf of Oman, was cremated with full rites in his native village of Bhalu in Hamirpur district on Thursday.
Hundreds of mourners gathered to bid a tearful farewell to the young seafarer, whose untimely death has cast a shadow of sorrow over the region.
Aditya’s cousin, Parth, lit the funeral pyre as family members, relatives and villagers struggled to come to terms with the loss.
Emotional scenes unfolded when Aditya’s body was brought to his residence for final respects.
His mother, Sushma Lakhanpal, repeatedly broke down and fainted while embracing the body of her only son. His father, Rajesh Sharma, grandmother and other family members were inconsolable.
The funeral procession witnessed a large turnout of local residents, with mourners raising slogans of “Aditya Sharma Amar Rahe” as they paid their final respects.
Officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of Hamirpur and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Nadaun, attended the funeral and expressed condolences to the bereaved family.
Earlier in the day, a post-mortem examination was conducted at Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College and Hospital, Hamirpur.
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The examination was carried out after the family had declined to allow a post-mortem in Oman. Owing to procedural formalities and documentation requirements, the body reached Hamirpur late on Wednesday night, eight days after Aditya’s death.
People from nearby villages began gathering at the family home from early morning to pay homage to the young sailor. The atmosphere remained sombre as residents expressed shock over the tragedy.
Aditya Sharma was killed on June 9 during a US military strike in the Hormuz region. He was among three Indian nationals who lost their lives in the incident, while 21 other Indian crew members aboard the vessel were rescued safely.
A resident of Bhalu village under Hadeta Panchayat in Hamirpur district, Aditya was the only child of his parents. His father runs a business in Jalandhar, Punjab, where Aditya completed his schooling up to Class XII. He later pursued a Merchant Navy course in Chennai and studied Nautical Engineering in Scotland.
Aditya joined the Merchant Navy on November 24, 2025, and was serving as a deck cadet aboard the oil tanker MT Settebello, owned by World Maritime Energy Limited.
The assignment was his first at sea. Family members said they had been eagerly awaiting his return home, but the anticipated reunion turned into mourning after news of his death reached them.
The tragedy has sparked widespread grief across Hamirpur district, with residents remembering Aditya as a bright and hardworking young man whose promising career was cut short by a conflict far from home.
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The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.
