All 43 crew members from the two container vessels are safe; none are Singaporean
[SINGAPORE] A Singapore-registered container vessel sank and a second was damaged after they were struck by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Wednesday (Oct 14).
GFS Pride, which was struck on Tuesday, was damaged and a fire broke out on board before it sank. All 21 crew members were evacuated, with no injuries reported.
GFS Giselle was struck the following day; its hull was damaged, but reached a safe anchorage under its own propulsion. Its 22 crew members were also safe and uninjured.
There were no Singaporeans on board either vessel. MPA said it is in contact with the vessels’ management company and monitoring the situation.
The authority said it was “deeply concerned” about continued attacks on commercial ships in the strait, describing such attacks as “unprovoked, unjustifiable and a breach of international law”.
The incidents took place amid a surge in attacks on commercial vessels on the key shipping route.
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Among recent incidents, three Liberian-flagged oil tankers – Al Ruwais, Mersin Prosperity and Sinbad – were struck by unknown projectiles as they made their way through the strait at the end of September.
In early October, the Panama-flagged tanker On Peace was struck by an unknown projectile; 12 crew members were injured.
The current conflict in the Middle East began on Feb 28, when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran. Before the conflict, the Strait of Hormuz carried about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade.