LONDON, June 11 (Xinhua) -- A fire broke out in the engine room of a tanker around 21 nautical miles northeast of Sohar, Oman, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Thursday.
The UKMTO said the fire has not had an environmental impact, and authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the blaze. However, the authority did not identify the vessel or provide any information on potential casualties.
The Forward Seamen's Union of India later identified the vessel as the MT Jalveer in a post on social media platform X.
The incident comes amid heightened security risks in and around the Strait of Hormuz, following a series of attacks on commercial shipping.
India confirmed on Thursday that three Indian seafarers who were reported missing after an attack by the United States on the tanker MT Settebello off the coast of Oman late Tuesday have now been found dead.
The Palau-flagged MT Settebello caught fire after being struck near the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces targeted the vessel for allegedly violating a blockade on Iranian oil shipments.
International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said on Wednesday that any act that endangered the lives of seafarers and the safety of international shipping was "simply unacceptable."
According to the latest figures released by the IMO, 44 incidents involving international shipping have been confirmed in and around the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Middle East region as of June 11, resulting in 14 confirmed seafarer fatalities. ■
