New Delhi, Mar 12: A Thai-flagged cargo ship was attacked shortly after it left a port in the United Arab Emirates, the Royal Thai Navy said. Twenty sailors were rescued in the incident, but three are still missing.
The Mayuri Nari, a large carrier owned by Thai company Precious Shipping PCL, was attacked while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz on its way from the UAE’s Khalifa Port to India’s Kandla Port. Iran has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Photos released by the Royal Thai Navy showed thick black smoke rising from the ship’s superstructure, with life rafts visible in the surrounding water.
“The specific details and cause of the attack are currently being investigated,” the Royal Thai Navy said in a statement. The Omani Navy rescued 20 sailors and “efforts are currently underway to rescue the remaining three crew members,” the statement said.
Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said three commercial vessels had been attacked in the Gulf yesterday. It was not immediately clear whether the Mayuri Nari was among them.
The Royal Thai Navy said the vessel is 178 meters long and weighs 30,000 tons.
The attack came at a time when the Middle East is facing a serious crisis. Israel, with the support of US military forces, launched an attack on Iran on February 28. Tehran retaliated by launching attacks on Tel Aviv and Middle Eastern countries hosting American military bases, and by blocking shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical waterways for global energy supplies.
Such attacks appear to be on the rise, posing serious risks to international trade routes and maritime workers, the ministry said. Reiterating its long-standing position on maritime security, India stressed that commercial shipping and civilian crew members should not be targeted under any circumstances. “India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping should avoid endangering innocent civilian personnel or impeding freedom of navigation and commerce,” the statement said.