The government investigation team is on its second day of probing the cause of a fire aboard the HMM bulk carrier Namoo, which broke out while the vessel was anchored in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Yonhap, the team — composed of three investigators from the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and four fire-forensics specialists from the National Fire Agency — boarded the Namoo at a repair yard inside the Port of Dubai on the 9th (local time) to begin their inspection.
So far, visual inspections have revealed no obvious external impact to the ship’s exterior.
Investigators will determine whether the blaze was caused by external action — including a possible attack — or by internal factors.
They expect a focused examination of the engine room, where the fire originated, to yield key evidence.
The team plans to enter the engine room, located low on the port-side stern, and conduct a detailed forensic inspection there.
Officials said investigators began interviewing crew members the previous day.
They have also reviewed the Namoo’s voyage data recorder (VDR), considered the ship’s “black box,” and analyzed CCTV footage.
If needed, authorities may deploy underwater drones or divers, or use a crane to lift the vessel to inspect the hull below the waterline visually.
The hull section around the engine room sits below the vessel’s waterline and remains submerged while the ship floats, making visual checks difficult without lifting the ship or using divers.
The 24 crew members, including six South Koreans, disembarked after completing face-to-face interviews with the investigation team the previous night.
The crew moved to accommodations in Dubai to rest. They may return to the ship if investigators require further questioning.
Officials will determine the timing of the crew’s further disembarkation or return home based on the estimated repair time for the Namoo.
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