A Thai-flagged cargo ship, Mayuree Naree, has run aground off Iran’s Qeshm Island after being hit by an unidentified projectile earlier this month in the Strait of Hormuz.
The vessel had been drifting for days after the incident. Three crew members are still missing, while 20 others were rescued.
The attack happened around March 11 when the ship was passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, the vessel reported that it had been struck by an object about 11 miles north of Oman.
The impact hit the stern of the ship, causing an explosion in the engine room and starting a fire onboard.
The crew sent a distress signal as the fire broke out, and evacuation procedures were started. The blaze was later brought under control, but the damage left the ship without proper control.
Twenty crew members were picked up by the Omani navy. Three others were reported missing after the explosion, and their condition is still not known.
After the attack, the vessel remained in the water for several days before drifting towards the Iranian coast. It eventually ran aground near Qeshm Island, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency and statements from the ship’s owner, Precious Shipping.
The company’s managing director confirmed that the ship is now aground on an Iranian island.
Thai authorities said that Iranian and Omani teams have reached the vessel and are continuing efforts to find the missing crew members.
Earlier, Thailand’s foreign ministry had also said that joint teams had managed to access the ship, but there was still no update on the three sailors.
References: Bloomberg, Reuters
