Huge fire breaks out on Greek-operated oil tanker near Strait of Hormuz
SANAA, July 20 (YPA) – Reports circulating on Monday indicated that a fire broke out on an oil tanker operated by Greek company Dynacom after it was struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz near Oman’s Khasab area.
International news agencies, citing maritime security officials, reported that a Greek-owned cargo vessel was hit by an unknown projectile while sailing near the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire to erupt onboard.
The officials did not identify the nature of the projectile, the party responsible for the incident, or the extent of the damage sustained by the vessel.
Meanwhile, Greek company Dynacom Tankers announced that two tankers under its management were attacked by projectiles of unknown origin while sailing off the coast of Oman.
In a statement, the company said that the Malta-flagged Panamax oil tanker Kavomalias was struck by two projectiles, causing a fire inside the engine room.
The incident prompted the vessel’s captain to order an evacuation after activating the firefighting system.
The company confirmed that all crew members were rescued by Omani authorities and safely transported ashore, adding that it remains in contact with relevant regional authorities to monitor developments.
British maritime risk management company Vanguard said the attack occurred while the vessel was sailing approximately 8 nautical miles northwest of Oman’s Khasab area. The tanker had been scheduled to load petroleum products from the Gulf later this week.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that no environmental pollution or oil spill had been detected as a result of the incident.
In a separate statement, Dynacom announced that a second tanker under its management, the Liberian-flagged Acheloos, a very large crude carrier (VLCC) capable of transporting up to two million barrels of oil, was also struck by a projectile.
The company confirmed that all crew members aboard the Acheloos were safe and that the vessel had proceeded to a secure anchorage area for technical inspections, with no reports of oil leakage or marine pollution.
Greek maritime security firm Marisks stated that the two tankers were attacked at approximately the same time while transiting the southern passage of the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier on Monday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that two oil tankers had exploded and stopped moving after attempting to pass through the unsafe southern route” of the Strait of Hormuz.
It also reported that two vessels in the same area had been involved in an incident on Sunday, although it remained unclear whether those events were connected to the attacks targeting the two Dynacom-operated tankers.
AA