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| ▲ This undated file photo, provided by Reuters, shows a cargo vessel near the Strait of Hormuz. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
(3rd LD) Hormuz strait-S Korean vessel
(3rd LD) Explosion followed by fire reported on S. Korean vessel in Strait of Hormuz: foreign ministry
(ATTN: RECASTS lead with details; ADDS more info in paras 6, 8-9, 12-18)
By Oh Seok-min and Kim Hyun-soo
SEOUL/BUSAN, May 4 (Yonhap) -- A fire broke out following an explosion Monday on a Panama-flagged vessel operated by a major South Korean shipping company and stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, with authorities now working to verify whether an external attack caused the incident, officials said.
An explosion followed by a fire occurred on the vessel operated by HMM Co. at around 8:40 p.m. while it was anchored in waters near the United Arab Emirates (UAE) within the strait, according to the ministry.
The vessel had 24 crew members on board -- six South Korean and 18 foreign nationals. No casualties have been reported so far, it added.
The cause of the explosion and fire, as well as the extent of the damage, is currently under investigation.
"The government will continue to communicate closely with relevant countries regarding the incident and take necessary measures to ensure the safety of South Korean vessels and crew members in the Strait of Hormuz," the ministry said in a statement.
The Korea Coast Guard said it has shared information on the case with maritime rescue agencies in five neighboring countries of the Strait of Hormuz -- the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman -- and has requested cooperation for swift rescue operations in case of emergencies.
Earlier, the foreign ministry said it was verifying information that a South Korean vessel stranded in the waterway may have come under attack.
The shipping company said the fire originated on the port side of the engine room following an explosion on the bulk carrier, adding that crew members are currently working to extinguish the blaze.
"It is not yet known whether the incident was caused by an external attack or an internal malfunction," an HMM official said. "As the engine room is located in the lower part of the ship, it is difficult to access and extinguish the fire. Firefighting efforts are therefore taking longer than expected."
A Cheong Wa Dae official said authorities are working to determine the cause of the fire, confirming that no casualties have been reported.
No National Security Council (NSC) meeting has been convened so far in connection with the incident, the official added, noting that the foreign and oceans ministries are handling the situation.
According to the oceans ministry, 26 South Korean-flagged vessels are currently stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, including nine oil tankers.
A total of 160 South Korean crew members are aboard vessels trapped in the waterway, including 37 on foreign-flagged ships.
So far, there has been no confirmed case of a South Korean vessel coming under attack in the Strait of Hormuz since the key waterway was effectively shut late February following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that triggered the regional crisis.
Tensions escalated further around the strait Monday after the United States launched an operation dubbed "Project Freedom," aimed at freeing ships stranded in the area. Iran denounced the move as a violation of a ceasefire that has been in place since early April.
U.S. President Donald Trump has extended the ceasefire deadline, while urging Tehran to present a new peace proposal and ramping up pressure through naval blockades and economic sanctions.
Peace talks remain stalled after the first direct meeting between the two sides in Islamabad, Pakistan, last month ended without agreement.
The blockade of the waterway has disrupted global supplies of energy and other goods, as about 20 percent of the world's oil and natural gas trade typically passes through the strait.
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