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3 crew missing, Iran's Guard says we hit it: Attack on India-bound Thai ship ‘Mayuree Naree’ in Strait of Hormuz
Three crew members are feared trapped aboard the Mayuree Naree, a Thai bulk carrier struck by projectiles by Iran in the Gulf of Hormuz.
Three crew members are believed to be trapped aboard an India-bound Thai bulk carrier that was hit by projectiles while sailing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the vessel’s owner said, as rescue operations continue in the region.
The vessel, identified as the Mayuree Naree, was struck on Wednesday morning while travelling through the Gulf waterway after departing Khalifa Port in the United Arab Emirates, news agency AFP reported.
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According to Thailand’s Maritime Traffic and Vessel Control Centre, the ship was bound for Kandla port in Gujarat when it came under attack at around 10 am. The vessel’s owner, Precious Shipping, said the projectiles damaged the ship’s engine room and triggered a fire on board.
“Three crew members are reported missing and believed to be trapped in the engine room,” the company said in a statement, adding that authorities were working to rescue them, as per AFP. The identities of the trapped crew members and status of their wellbeing are not yet clear.
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The Royal Navy of Oman rescued 20 sailors who evacuated the vessel using life rafts after the strike, according to reports citing the Royal Thai Navy. Thailand’s Transport Ministry said the crew had abandoned the vessel in a lifeboat after an explosion occurred near the stern of the ship, causing a fire in the engine compartment where the three missing sailors had been working, a separate report by Reuters noted.
Thailand’s foreign ministry said all 23 crew members aboard the vessel were Thai nationals.
Iran claims responsibility
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had struck the Thai-registered Mayuree Naree and a Liberian-flagged ship in the strait after the vessels allegedly ignored warnings from Iranian naval forces.
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In this regard, India said it had taken note of reports about the attack on the Thai cargo ship, which was heading to an Indian port. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said India “deplores the fact that commercial shipping is being made a target of military attacks” amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime corridors, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies normally pass.
Shipping activity in the region has come under increasing threat since escalating hostilities between Iran and the United States.
(With inputs from agencies)
