DUBAI : A Thai-flagged cargo vessel en route from the United Arab Emirates to India was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. Wh...
DUBAI : A Thai-flagged cargo vessel en route from the United Arab Emirates to India was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. While 20 crew members have been safely evacuated to Oman, the Royal Thai Navy reports that three crew members who were in the engine room remain missing. Iran has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Thailand Marine Department confirmed that the vessel—a 19,891-gross-ton bulk carrier owned by Precious Shipping PCL—suffered an explosion followed by a fire in the engine room. The ship was transiting the Strait of Hormuz during a voyage from Khalifa Port (UAE) to Kandla Port in Gujarat, India.
Photos released by the Royal Thai Navy show thick black smoke billowing from the ship's hull and superstructure, with life rafts visible in the surrounding waters. According to a Navy statement, the ship’s captain ordered the crew to abandon vessel immediately following the blast.
The Royal Navy of Oman assisted in the rescue, transporting 20 sailors to the Omani port city of Khasab. However, the three crew members on duty in the engine room at the time of the explosion have not been located. Search and rescue operations led by multiple agencies are currently underway.
Kritphet Chaichuay, Director-General of the Marine Department, has established a dedicated monitoring center to coordinate the response. Additionally, the Royal Thai Navy has directed its operations center to liaise with military agencies in Bahrain to support the ongoing rescue mission.
-News Desk
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