A merchant ship caught fire after being struck by an unidentified projectile approximately 14 nautical miles northwest of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. The incident occurred on Wednesday, November 11, as the vessel was leaving the Strait of Hormuz.
The impact caused a fire in the engine room. The British maritime operations agency UKMTO said that all crew members had been evacuated and that efforts to extinguish the fire had begun. “Firefighting efforts are continuing, and the entire crew has been evacuated,” the statement said, as quoted by Reuters.
Maritime security company Ambrey specified that the ship had been struck in the stern. According to the company, there were no injuries and no marine pollution had been reported. The vessel’s name, flag, cargo or the nationality of the crew have not been disclosed.
Perpetrator not identified
So far, no perpetrator has been publicly identified, and no party has claimed responsibility for the strike. The British maritime agencies have not provided information about the type of projectile used, nor have they reported any assessment of the damage caused beyond the fire in the engine room.
The latest incident occurred in an area connecting the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea and is one of the busiest maritime routes for transporting energy commodities. Reuters reports that attacks on merchant ships in the Persian Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz have increased in recent weeks.
The next steps involve bringing the fire under control and assessing the condition of the ship. So far, there have been no reports of casualties, spills or disruption to shipping in the area.
Sources: reuters.com, dawn.com