Tug arrives and begins hookup near stricken vessel
Government investigation team arrives on site; remains cautious on strike theory
Recovery operations following the fire aboard HMM’s cargo ship Namoo have intensified. Tug crews have started towing preparations, and Namoo could enter Dubai Port in the early hours of the 8th. The South Korean government has dispatched a joint maritime and fire investigation team to the site to determine the cause.
On the 7th, HMM and local officials said a Dubai-based tug departed around 8:30 p.m. the previous night and arrived near the stricken vessel at about 3:30 a.m.
Hookup with Namoo began at roughly 11 a.m. Officials warned that connecting towing lines and completing safety checks could take several hours.
The vessel is slated to be towed to Dubai Port, about 70 km (roughly 43 miles) from waters off Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates. HMM and local officials say that if the tow proceeds without incident, Namoo should arrive early on the 8th.
Once docked, Namoo will be moved to Drydocks World Dubai — the Middle East’s largest repair shipyard — for an investigation and hull repairs.
The investigation team includes staff from the Korean Register’s Dubai office, three investigators from the Central Maritime Safety Tribunal, and four forensic specialists from South Korea’s Fire Agency. The government team arrived early this morning and immediately began preparing the probe.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Iran may have been behind the incident, but the South Korean government says it has found no clear evidence that the ship was struck.
The incident occurred on the 4th at about 8:40 p.m., when an explosion sparked a fire aboard Namoo. Twenty-four crew members — including six South Koreans — were on board; authorities reported no injuries.
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