A container ship and a dry bulk carrier have both sunk near the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours after being hit by projectiles in separate incidents, maritime officials said on Wednesday.
Attacks around the waterway have surged over the past 10 days, with Iran saying it is stepping up strikes in response to the US blockade of its ports and tougher sanctions introduced last month.
The Singapore-flagged GFS Pride, a small container vessel with a capacity of 2,824 20-foot equivalent units (TEU), sank while sailing through the strait, according to maritime security sources.
“GFS PRIDE sustained damage and a fire on board, and has since sunk. All 21 crew members were safely evacuated. No injuries have been reported,” the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that the vessel had been sailing through the strait on Tuesday.
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In a separate incident, the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged Cape Dao sank close to the strait, weeks after being struck by a projectile on September 23, data from UN shipping agency the International Maritime Organization showed on Wednesday.
One crew member was killed, the rest of the crew evacuated straight after the strike, maritime sources said.