WONOSOBO NEWS – Seoul said its authorities would investigate the cause of an explosion and fire on a South Korean-operated ship in the Strait of Hormuz in an incident that US President Donald Trump blamed on an Iranian attack.
“The exact cause of the accident will be known after the ship is towed and the damage assessed,” South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement, reported by The Straits Times.
The Panama-flagged cargo ship operated by South Korean shipping company HMM was empty and at anchor when the explosion and fire occurred on Monday.
Also Read: LIT! Extreme Hot Temperature in Bangkok Reaches 52 Degrees Celsius
The ministry said there were no casualties and the fire had been extinguished. The ship, named HMM Namu, will be towed to a nearby port so damage can be assessed and repairs can be carried out, the ministry said.
An HMM spokesman said 24 crew members remained on board the 35,000 tonne general cargo ship.
The fire broke out in the engine room and surveillance camera footage showed the fire had been extinguished, the spokesman said.
Also Read: Thai Police Arrest Indonesian Citizen Fugitive from FBI in Love Scam Case
British maritime risk management group Vanguard said authorities would investigate whether the damage may have been caused by an attack, a drifting sea mine or another external object.
In response to the incident, South Korea’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries said on Tuesday that it had asked Korean vessels in the area to move to safer locations and said authorities were in close communication with shipping companies and the stranded vessels.
The South Korean government said 26 South Korean-flagged ships were stranded around the Strait of Hormuz.
Also Read: Rp. 43 Billion in Money to Pay Sri Lanka’s Debt Missing, Hacked
Meanwhile, in a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump said Iran had fired on ships and other targets as the US launched an operation aimed at opening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping.
He suggested it might be time for South Korea to join the US to help escort stranded ships through the waterway in the Strait of Hormuz.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry and presidential office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Trump’s post.
South Korea previously said it would carefully consider Trump’s call for countries to deploy naval vessels to form a coalition to ensure safe passage through the waterway, while also stressing that such a move would require legislative approval.
