Container Ship Ablaze After Incident Off the Coast of Oman

A container ship was damaged and caught fire after an incident off the coast of Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Saturday night local time. UKMTO stated it had received a report of the incident approximately 16.7 km east of the Gulf nation on Saturday at 22.40 GMT. “Military authorities report that a container ship sustained damage to the stern, resulting in a fire on board,” the statement said, adding that authorities are investigating the incident. UKMTO did not disclose the name of the vessel. Separately, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said the GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship, was attacked by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, leaving one crew member missing. The vessel was unable to continue its voyage due to the fire on board and significant damage to its engine room, the command added. According to maritime tracking data, the GFS Galaxy has an overall length of approximately 304 metres and a beam of 40 metres, and was last reported in the Persian Gulf two days ago. The incident occurs amid heightened tensions in the waters surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime shipping lanes connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.