Vessel catches fire in Hormuz off Oman's coast: UKMTO

London: A vessel sailing outbound through the Strait of Hormuz caught fire, approximately 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

Taking to social media platform X, UKMTO said that it has received a report of an incident 25NM Northeast of Khasab, Oman in the Strait of Hormuz.

“…A third-party has reported that a vessel transiting outbound is on fire, the cause is unknown at time of report. Status of crew, damage assessment, and environmental impact are unknown at present. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO, whilst authorities investigate,” it said.

Earlier in October, the Kuwait-flagged oil product tanker M/T Al Dasma, carrying 21 Indian seafarers, was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. All crew members are safe, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal announced.

UKMTO also tracked the strike at 11 nautical miles west of Bukha, Oman.

According to Times Kuwait, the incident sparked a fire aboard the vessel, which was later extinguished. The report stated that the tanker remained stationary, and all crew members were reported safe.

This attack occurred amidst a series of regional commercial shipping incidents in the Gulf.

Meanwhile, two Singapore-registered container vessels were reportedly struck by unknown projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month, Singapore time, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said.

The vessel GFS PRIDE sustained damage and caught fire before sinking, the authority said in a statement. All 21 crew members were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported.

The authority said it was in contact with the vessel's management company and was closely monitoring the situation.

The MPA expressed deep concern over continued attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

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