Merchant vessel catches fire after attack near Strait of Hormuz
London, Aug 8
A merchant vessel caught fire after being struck near the eastern entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship-to-ship radio communications on Friday evening, London Time.
The recording, obtained exclusively by Xinhua from a seafarer, transmitted over an open maritime radio channel, showed crew members battling a fire and urgently requesting assistance.
According to the communications, the vessel was near the Omani coast when it was struck, sparking a fire in the engine room.
The crew had activated the ship's onboard carbon dioxide fire suppression system and attempted to control the blaze through ballast operations. Firefighting efforts were complicated by a failure of the ship's hydraulic system, the recording indicated, reports Xinhua news agency.
In another segment of the communications, several nearby vessels said they were heading toward the scene to provide assistance.
The waters around the Strait of Hormuz have witnessed multiple attacks on vessels in recent days, with many of the incidents occurring along shipping routes near the Omani side of the strait.
Earlier in July, a commercial vessel caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz off Oman's coast, prompting a warning from British maritime authorities as heightened US-Iran tensions continued to disrupt shipping through the strategic waterway.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received a report of an incident roughly 8 nautical miles northwest of Kumzar, Oman. Military authorities told UKMTO that a vessel was on fire, although the cause of the blaze remained unclear.
Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has largely ground to a halt amid the US-Iran fighting, with growing concerns over the safety of vessels navigating the strategic waterway.
The US military earlier urged ships to use routes closer to Oman's coastline when transiting the strait. Iran, however, has attacked vessels traveling along those routes, asserting that it should have control over navigation through the waterway.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The crew members must be terrified. It's heartbreaking to hear about the fire suppression system failing. My prayers go out to the sailors - these are the unsung heroes of the global economy. 🙏
As an Indian, I worry about our sailors who work on these international vessels. Many Indian seafarers are caught in these dangerous waters. We need better diplomatic efforts to ensure their safety - Modi ji should raise this with both US and Iran.
Who is really behind these attacks? It's become a mess in the Gulf region. One day it's tankers, next day it's merchant ships. The international community needs to step up and protect innocent commercial vessels. This is outright piracy or terrorism, whatever you call it!
The US-Iran tensions are escalating out of control. Instead of diplomatic solutions, we're seeing ships burn in the water. This chaos in the Gulf affects everything from fuel prices in India to global supply chains. 🙄
India's maritime interests are at stake! We should perhaps consider increasing our naval presence in the region. Indian Navy's INS Talwar has been patrolling there, but maybe we need more assets. Can't let these attacks threaten our seafarers' lives.
E Emma D