VLCC Hit By Iranian Attack off Dubai
Iranian forces have attacked a laden crude oil tanker at an anchorage off the coast of Dubai, according to the shipowner, Kuwait Petroleum Company.
In a statement, the company said that the 320,000 dwt tanker Al Salmi was hit at about 0010 hours on Tuesday morning, resulting in a fire and damage to the vessel's hull. UKMTO reports that a projectile struck the tanker on the starboard side.
No injuries were reported, and all 24 crewmembers are safe, according to the Dubai Media Office. KPC said that there was a possibility of "a potential oil spill in the surrounding waters." The vessel is reportedly in fully laden condition.
Emergency responders attended the scene to fight the fire and contain any pollution risks. The fire was out by late morning, according to Dubai authorities. Technical assessments of the damage aboard the tanker are under way, and the shipowner is taking steps to minimize environmental harm.
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The strike is the latest in a series of attacks on merchant ships throughout the region, from Iraq in the north to Oman in the south. While the world's focus has been on security challenges in the Strait of Hormuz, most of the Iranian strikes have occurred elsewhere along the 1,000-nautical-mile navigation corridor that runs into and through the Arabian Gulf.
Top image: Al Salmi (VesselFinder / Roel Zwama)
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