A container ship and a dry bulk carrier have both sunk near the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours after being hit by projectiles in separate incidents, maritime officials said on Wednesday, in a sharp escalation of attacks around the waterway over the past 10 days. Iran says it is stepping up strikes in response to the US blockade of its ports and tougher sanctions introduced last month.
The Singapore flagged GFS Pride, a small container vessel of 2,824 TEU capacity, sustained damage and a fire on board while sailing through the strait on Tuesday and has since sunk, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said. All 21 crew members were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported. The authority said it was deeply concerned about continued attacks on commercial shipping in the strait, calling them unprovoked and a breach of international law.
The second vessel, the Antigua and Barbuda flagged Cape Dao, sank close to the strait weeks after being struck by a projectile on September 23, according to casualty data from the International Maritime Organization published on Wednesday. One crew member was killed in that September strike and the rest of the crew was evacuated at the time. The managers of both vessels, UAE based GFS Ship Management and Peonies Shipmanagement, could not immediately be reached for comment.
The two ships are the second and third vessels to sink since the war began on February 28, after the Maltese flagged container ship Safeen Prestige was hit in March and later sank north of the strait. Maritime risk firm MARISKS said the latest incidents reinforce the continuing threat to shipping in Hormuz and that it is not confined to tankers, with container vessels and bulk carriers also sustaining serious damage. About a fifth of global oil and LNG trade passed through the strait before the war.