One dead as ship in Bahrain port struck by ‘unknown projectiles’

MANAMA: Unidentified projectiles hit an oil tanker at a Bahrain port on Monday, causing a fire that was extinguished, local authorities said, with the ship’s owner reporting that one crew member was killed.

“US-flagged tanker Stena Imperative was struck by two unknown projectiles in the Port of Bahrain at 02:57 UTC (0257 GMT),” private maritime security company Vanguard Tech said in a statement.

It added that “all crew members are safe and have evacuated the vessel.”

The vessel’s Swedish owner, Stena Bulk, also told AFP that “mariners have reported no injuries and a damage assessment is being conducted.”

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“One shipyard worker was reported deceased, and authorities report two shipyard workers were injured,” Lena Alvling, General Manager of Marketing & Corporate Events, told AFP.

Alvling said the company was still investigating the source of the impacts, but confirmed that the ship “suffered damage due to aerial impacts while berthed,” in the Arabian Gulf.

The Stena Imperative is a 183-metre-long tanker, owned by Stena but operated by US shipping company Crowley Maritime.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency had earlier reported the incident without naming the ship.

Tehran has targeted countries across the Gulf with a barrage of strikes after the US and Israel launched a massive air campaign against Iran that killed its supreme leader and other top officials.