A tanker caught fire near Oman and its crew evacuated, while a second tanker reported a projectile strike as it was leaving the Strait of Hormuz, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said Sunday in two separate notices.
The fire notice puts the incident at 11:20 p.m. Oman time Saturday, Nov. 7 (19:20 UTC), about 8 nautical miles northwest of Khasab on Oman’s Musandam Peninsula. The notice said the crew evacuated. It gave no further information on their condition or what started the fire. Seatrade Maritime News also reported the evacuation.
The projectile strike notice puts that incident an hour later, at 12:20 a.m. Oman time Sunday (20:20 UTC Saturday). A company security officer reported that an unidentified projectile struck the tanker as it was leaving the strait. Everyone aboard was accounted for and safe, and the monitor said it had received no report of environmental damage at the time of the notice.
The maritime monitor said it received both reports after the incidents occurred. The notices do not identify the tankers. The monitor advised vessels to proceed cautiously and report suspicious activity while authorities investigate.
The U.S. Maritime Administration advises U.S.-flagged vessels in the area to coordinate their voyage plans with U.S. naval shipping advisers, respond to radio calls from coalition navies and stay at least 30 nautical miles from U.S. military vessels to reduce the risk of being mistaken for a threat.
Correction, Nov. 8: An earlier version said the warnings did not give exact incident times. Both warnings list times, which are now included above.
