[Herald Economy — Reporter Lee Won-yul] The UK Maritime Trade Operations center (UKMTO) said it received separate reports of fires aboard two vessels near the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf.UKMTO told Yonhap that a fire of unknown origin broke out in the engine room of a cargo ship positioned about 36 nautical miles (roughly 41.4 statute miles) north of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. All crew members were reported safe.
The agency added it also received a report of a fire roughly 14 nautical miles (about 16.1 statute miles) west of Mina Saqr port in the UAE.
UKMTO said both incidents were reported by third parties rather than the vessels themselves, and the causes remain undetermined.
Neither vessel’s flag state nor names have been released.
UKMTO, which operates under the British navy, relies on voluntary reporting from ships. When it receives a report of trouble, it notifies local coast guards, military units or other authorities that can provide assistance.
One South Korean-operated vessel also caught fire; officials are confirming details
Separately, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that at about 8:40 p.m. on the 4th a South Korean-operated ship in waters inside the Strait of Hormuz near the UAE suffered an explosion and caught fire. Seoul’s government is working to verify the facts.
U.S. President Donald Trump used the explosion and fire aboard the South Korean ship to press Seoul again to participate in military operations, while Seoul’s Defense Ministry counseled caution.
The South Korean government is prioritizing an investigation to determine whether the incident resulted from an external attack or from a shipboard malfunction.
Early speculation included the possibility of Iranian sea mines, kamikaze drones, unmanned surface vessels or rocket strikes. As assessments indicated the damage may be relatively limited, some analysts have raised the possibility that the fire originated from an internal problem.
The Defense Ministry said identifying the cause is the top priority and that any follow-on response will be based on that finding.
