London, August 8: A merchant ship caught fire following an attack near the eastern entrance of the Hormuz Strait. According to the London Times, ship-to-ship radio communication reported the incident on Friday evening.
A recording obtained by the Xinhua news agency from a sailor was sent over an open maritime radio channel, showing crew members struggling with the fire and requesting assistance.
The communication indicated that the ship was near the Omani coast when it was attacked, resulting in a fire in the engine room. The crew activated the ship’s carbon dioxide firefighting system and attempted to control the blaze through ballast operations.
The recording revealed that efforts to extinguish the fire were complicated by a failure in the ship’s hydraulic system. In another part of the communication, several nearby vessels reported they were heading to the scene to provide assistance.
In recent days, there have been multiple attacks on ships in the waters around the Hormuz Strait, with most incidents occurring near the shipping route on the Omani side of the strait. Earlier in July, a commercial vessel also caught fire near the Omani coast in the Hormuz Strait. The increasing tensions between the U.S. and Iran have disrupted shipping in this vital waterway, prompting warnings from British maritime authorities.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an incident approximately eight nautical miles northwest of Kumzar, Oman. Military officials informed UKMTO that a ship was on fire, although the cause of the blaze remains unclear.
Amidst the U.S.-Iran conflict, commercial shipping through the Hormuz Strait has significantly halted, raising concerns about the safety of vessels navigating this strategic maritime route.
The U.S. military previously advised ships to use routes near the Omani coastline while passing through the strait. Iran has attacked vessels using those routes, asserting that it should control navigation through the waters.
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