Seoul probes blast, fire on S. Korean-operated ship in Hormuz
South Korea’s presidential office convened a meeting on Tuesday to discuss its response to a fire that broke out following an explosion aboard a Panama-flagged bulk carrier operated by HMM Co. in the Strait of Hormuz, an official said.
Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik and other senior officials attended the meeting, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, News.Az reports, citing Yonhap.
Further details were not immediately disclosed.
The explosion occurred at around 8:40 p.m. Monday (Korean time) while the vessel, HMM Namu, was anchored in waters off the United Arab Emirates, the company said. The fire originated in the engine room, where crew members spent about four hours using carbon dioxide to extinguish the blaze. No injuries were reported.
HMM said security camera footage confirmed the fire had been brought under control. The company plans to inspect the engine room to determine the extent of the damage.
The vessel had 24 crew members on board, including six South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals. All crew members were unharmed.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the explosion and fire, as well as the scale of the damage.
“It remains unclear whether the incident was caused by an external attack or an internal malfunction,” an HMM official said.
The company added that it intends to tow the vessel to Dubai, a process expected to take several days.
Earlier, the South Korean government said it is working to identify the cause of the incident.
In Washington, US President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran had fired at a South Korean cargo vessel and other targets, urging Seoul to join efforts to reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Industry officials noted that South Korean-operated ships in waters near the UAE have begun moving toward Qatar in line with government measures aimed at avoiding the Strait of Hormuz for safety reasons.
The incident follows the launch of a US-led operation, Project Freedom, designed to escort commercial vessels stranded due to the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran out of the waterway.
HMM currently operates five vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, including one container ship and two oil tankers.
By Nijat Babayev
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