Vessels are in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday. Reuters-Yonhap
A fire broke out following an explosion Monday on a Panama-flagged vessel operated by a major South Korean shipping company and stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, with authorities now working to verify whether an external attack caused the incident, officials said.
An explosion followed by a fire occurred on the vessel operated by HMM Co. at around 8:40 p.m. while it was anchored in waters near the United Arab Emirates (UAE) within the strait, according to the ministry.
The vessel had 24 crew members on board — six South Korean and 18 foreign nationals. No casualties have been reported so far, it added.
The cause of the explosion and fire, as well as the extent of the damage, is currently under investigation.
"The government will continue to communicate closely with relevant countries regarding the incident and take necessary measures to ensure the safety of South Korean vessels and crew members in the Strait of Hormuz," the ministry said in a statement.
The Korea Coast Guard said it has shared information on the case with maritime rescue agencies in five neighboring countries of the Strait of Hormuz — the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman — and has requested cooperation for swift rescue operations in case of emergencies.
Earlier, the foreign ministry said it was verifying information that a South Korean vessel stranded in the waterway may have come under attack.
The shipping company said the fire originated on the port side of the engine room following an explosion on the bulk carrier, adding that crew members are currently working to extinguish the blaze.
"It is not yet known whether the incident was caused by an external attack or an internal malfunction," an HMM official said. "As the engine room is located in the lower part of the ship, it is difficult to access and extinguish the fire. Firefighting efforts are therefore taking longer than expected."
Source: Korea Times News
