South Korea to probe ship fire in Strait of Hormuz, Trump blames Iranian attack

SEOUL: Seoul said on Tuesday that authorities will investigate the cause of an explosion and fire on a South Korean-operated ship in the Strait of Hormuz in an incident US President Donald Trump blamed on an Iranian attack.

“The exact cause of the accident would be figured out after the vessel is towed and its damage is assessed,” South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Panama-flagged cargo ship operated by South Korean shipper HMM was empty and at anchor when the explosion and fire occurred on Monday.

The ministry said there were no casualties and the fire had been extinguished. The ship, named HMM Namu, would be towed to a nearby port so that the damage could be assessed and repairs carried out, the ministry said.

 An HMM spokesperson said the 24 crew remained on board the 35,000-ton general cargo vessel.

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The fire had broken out in the engine room and surveillance camera footage showed it had been extinguished, the spokesperson said.

British maritime risk management group Vanguard said authorities would investigate whether the damage might have been caused by an attack, a drifting sea mine or another external object.

In response to the incident, South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said on Tuesday it had asked Korean vessels in the area to move to safer locations and said authorities were in close communications with shipping companies and stranded vessels.

The South Korean government has said 26 South Korean-flagged vessels were stranded around the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump said Iran had fired shots at the ship and other targets as the US launched an operation seeking to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping.

He suggested it could be time for South Korea to join his new effort to help guide stranded ships through the waterway typically used to carry about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

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South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry and the presidential office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s post. South Korea has previously said it would carefully consider Trump’s call for countries to deploy navy ships to form a coalition to ensure safe passage through the waterway, while also stressing such a move would require legislative approval.