Singapore, Oct 14 (IANS) Two Singapore-registered container vessels were reportedly struck by unknown projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday and Wednesday, Singapore time, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said Wednesday.
The vessel GFS PRIDE sustained damage and caught fire before sinking, the authority said in a statement. All 21 crew members were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported.
The second vessel, GFS GISELLE, sustained hull damage but was able to reach a safe anchorage under its own propulsion. All 22 crew members were safe, with no injuries reported, the MPA said, Xinhua news agency reported.
No Singaporeans were aboard either vessel, it added.
The authority said it was in contact with the vessels’ management company and was closely monitoring the situation.
The MPA expressed deep concern over continued attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, the navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Wednesday that a “violating” container ship attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz via an “unauthorised and high-risk” route sank earlier in the day after hitting a naval mine south of the waterway.
In a statement published on the IRGC’s official news outlet Sepah News, the navy said the ship, carrying over 2,500 containers, suffered an explosion and caught fire after striking the mine.
It urged vessels and fishing boats in the area to exercise extreme caution to avoid colliding with containers floating in the water.
Speaking to state-run IRIB TV on Tuesday, IRGC Navy commander Ali Azmaei said that the IRGC Navy is controlling the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz “round the clock,” while the Gulf of Oman is under the control and supervision of the Iranian Army’s Navy.
“Iran’s maritime borders enjoy an unprecedented level of security,” he said.
Azmaei said vessels seeking to cross the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz must obtain authorization “and be accountable based on international regulations,” warning that those violating shipping rules under U.S. “deception or provocation” would face a decisive response from Iran.
Iran tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz on February 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.
–IANS
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