A tanker operated by Greek shipping company Dynacom caught fire on Monday after being hit by an unidentified projectile near Oman’s Kumzar area, close to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, maritime security officials reported.
The Malta-flagged Kavomaleas was struck approximately 8 nautical miles northwest of Kumzar, causing a fire while the vessel was transiting the vital waterway. The cause of the incident remains under investigation, and authorities have not confirmed the type of projectile involved.
The British maritime security group Vanguard said the tanker caught fire while passing through the Strait of Hormuz at around 7:24pm UTC. The crew’s condition was initially unclear, but the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) later confirmed that all crew members safely abandoned the vessel, according to news agencies.
The tanker was left drifting before being recovered by a tugboat. UKMTO said the fire had not yet been fully extinguished, but no environmental impact had been reported.
The Panamax-sized vessel, managed by Dynacom Tankers Management, was scheduled to load oil products in the Gulf this week, according to shipping industry sources.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said two oil tankers had “exploded” and were disabled after attempting what it described as an unsafe southern route through the Strait of Hormuz.
It remains unclear whether those incidents were connected to the Dynacom-operated tanker fire.
