S. Korean ship damaged by fire in Strait of Hormuz reaches Dubai port

A South Korean vessel that was recently damaged by fire in the Strait of Hormuz arrived at a port in Dubai on Friday (local time) to undergo an investigation, officials said, News.Az reports, citing Yonhap.

The HMM Namu, a Panama-flagged cargo ship operated by South Korean shipping company HMM Co., was towed from waters near Umm Al Quwain in the United Arab Emirates.

It arrived at the Port of Dubai at 0:20 a.m., four days after an explosion and subsequent fire broke out while it was stranded in the conflict-affected strait, according to HMM officials and local sources.

A South Korean government investigation team has been dispatched to determine the cause of the blast, amid conflicting claims over whether it resulted from an Iranian attack or an internal malfunction.

Authorities have so far maintained a cautious stance, and no evidence has reportedly been found indicating a military strike.

The explosion occurred on Monday, the same day the United States launched “Project Freedom,” aimed at assisting the movement of stranded vessels through the strait amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.

Crew members managed to extinguish the fire approximately four hours after it began.

There are 24 crew members on board the vessel, including six South Korean nationals.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev