Mumbai: A Thai-flagged cargo ship, sailing towards Gujarat, was set on fire after being struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday.
Twenty crew members were evacuated from the burning ship, but three remained on board.
The ship, which had left Khalifa Port in the UAE, was headed for Kandla Port in India when it came under attack, for which Iran has claimed responsibility.
After the Royal Thai Navy and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that a cargo vessel had been hit in the Strait of Hormuz, photographs and maritime records confirmed its identity as Thai bulk carrier Mayuree Naree.
Verification was done through the ship’s International Maritime Organisation number and the ship’s hull and superstructure, which matched archived images of the vessel.
The Bangkok ship, owned by Precious Shipping, was targeted around 11 nautical miles off the northern coast of Oman, according to maritime security personnel and ship tracking data.
Images released by the Royal Thai Navy showed thick black smoke rising from the ship’s hull and superstructure, with life rafts visible in the surrounding water.
After the ship caught fire, Omani navy launched a rescue operation and brought the blaze under control, evacuating 20 of the 23 crew members from the vessel.
Three crew members remained on board after the evacuation.
No details on the condition of the three unrescued crew members, or the actual extent of the damage sustained by the ship have been provided yet.
