Thursday, 13 June 2019

Update on events in the Gulf of Oman

Tankers torpedoed in the

Middle East

14 June, 2019

Two tankers have been targeted this morning while transiting waters near to Fujairah. Frontline’s fully laden LR 2 was hit by surface attacks, and an enormous fire ensued forcing the crew to abandon ship. The crew were safely picked up by nearby general cargoship, Hyundai Dubai.

Bernhard Schulte’s chemical tanker Kokuka Courageous was also hit by torpedoes this morning, one month and one day from the moment four other tankers were damaged by limpet mines off Fujairah (pictured). The ship disappeared from several ship tracking sites for a period of time today but is now back on the MarineTraffic site, with a ‘Stopped’ status.

“The hull has been breached above the water line on the starboard side,” Bernhard Schulte said in a statement on its website. “All crew are reported safe and only one minor injury reported.”

The two targeted ships are lying approximately 50 km apart in Iranian waters east of Fujairah.

“ The UK and its partners are currently investigating,” UK Maritime Trade Operations said on its website this morning, warning all vessels in the region to exercise extreme caution. The attacks have also been confirmed today by the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

Commenting on today’s attacks, security consultant Lars Bergqvist told Splash: “Although this incident seems to be outside the [High Risk Area], but inside the [Voluntary Reporting Area], it always advisable to follow BMP5 in these waters.” BMP5 is a counter-piracy best practice management guide developed by leading shipping associations. Bergqvist also urged owners to review guidelines for transit of Bab Al Mandab.

Pictured below is a photo of the Front Altair this morning.

Iran has rushed to the assistance of two oil tankers hit by yet unspecified accidents in the Sea of Oman, transferring all of their 44 crew members to its southern shores.

An informed source said an Iranian rescue vessel had picked up the 23 crew members of one of the tankers and 21 of the other from the sea and had brought them to safety at Iran’s Jask, in the southern Hormozgan Province, IRNA reported on Thursday.

Earlier, media reports said explosions had occurred on the two oil tankers, apparently as a result of attacks.

Details about the incidents are still sketchy, but the ships are known to have sent distress signals to nearby ports and vessels.

While the US Navy claimed it had been assisting the tankers, the Iranian rescue vessel was first to reach them and rescue the crew, who had plunged into and were floating on the sea to avoid the fire.

(This item is being updated.)