Two India-bound LPG tankers clear Strait of Hormuz, government says

Two India-bound liquefied petroleum gas tankers carrying about 94,000 metric tons of cooking gas have safely transited the Strait of Hormuz and are heading towards India, the government said on Sunday.

The carriers BW Tyr and BW Elm are expected to arrive in Mumbai on March 31 and New Mangalore on April 1 respectively, the petroleum ministry said in a statement.

The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has all but halted shipping through the strait, but Iran has said "non-hostile vessels" may transit the waterway if they coordinate with Iranian authorities.

The ships are the latest Indian-flagged vessels to make it through the chokepoint. Four LPG tankers have already completed the crossing, while three more are still in the western section of the strait, LSEG ship tracking data showed on Friday.

A total of 18 Indian-flagged vessels with 485 Indian seafarers remain in the western Gulf region, the government said.

India, the world's second-largest LPG importer, last year consumed 33.15 million tons of the gas, with imports accounting for about 60% of demand. About 90% of those imports came from the Middle East.

Port operations across India remain normal with no congestion reported, the government said.

(Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru. Editing by Mark Potter)