Three Indonesian crew missing after UAE tugboat sinks in Strait of Hormuz

JAKARTA: Three Indonesian crew members are missing after the United Arab Emirates-flagged tugboat Mussafah 2 sank in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, Jakarta’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

There have been numerous attacks on ships navigating the strait since the US-Israeli war on Iran started on February 28.

The Mussafah 2 had seven crew members from Indonesia, India and the Philippines, the ministry said, adding that four survived and three others, all Indonesians, were missing.

The UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) also confirmed the incident but said it resulted in four fatalities and three others severely injured, the body said in a list on its website.

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It was unclear why there was a discrepancy between the ministry’s and the IMO’s tolls.

Before it sank, the boat experienced an explosion that caused it to catch fire, the ministry statement said, adding that an investigation by local authorities was ongoing.

The security firm Vanguard said the tugboat was struck by two missiles while attempting to provide assistance to the Malta-flagged container ship Safeen Prestige.

That ship was struck by a missile on Wednesday, Vanguard said in a statement.

One Indonesian survivor was receiving burn treatment at a hospital in the Omani city of Khasab, while local authorities were searching for the other three, the Indonesian ministry said.

Another Indonesian national was at the location of the incident, but now on a different vessel and is currently safe, the statement added.