SINGAPORE: One Singapore-registered ship sank while another was damaged when both were reportedly struck by unknown projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Oct 13 and 14 respectively.
No Singaporeans were on board either container vessel, and no injuries were reported from the incidents, the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said in a media release on Oct 14.
GFS Pride sustained damage and a fire on board, and has since sunk after it was hit on Oct 13. All 21 crew members were safely evacuated.
GFS Giselle suffered hull damage after it was hit on Oct 14 and has since arrived under its own propulsion at a safe anchorage, with all 22 crew members safe.
MPA said it is in contact with the vessels’ management company and is monitoring the situation closely.
“MPA is deeply concerned about the continued attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, including the latest incidents involving two Singapore-registered vessels. Such attacks are unprovoked, unjustifiable and a breach of international law,” MPA said.
“All actions affecting international shipping must fully comply with international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and must not endanger the safety of seafarers and ships at sea.”
According to VesselFinder, a website which tracks maritime traffic, GFS Pride’s position was last received 11 days ago. The vessel had departed the Karachi Port in Pakistan on Oct 1 and arrived at the emirate of Al Fujayrah, United Arab Emirates, on Oct 3 around 4pm UTC (12am Singapore time on Oct 4).
GFS Giselle’s position was last received six days ago, and it had departed Nhava Sheva port in India on Oct 1. The vessel was expected to arrive at the city of Fujairah in the UAE on Oct 8, according to the traffic tracker.
Both vessels are operated by GFS Ship Management, a company based in Dubai, UAE. The Straits Times has reached out to the company for more information on the incidents and the status of the crew.
According to the company’s official website, GFS Pride was built in 2008, while GFS Giselle was built in 2015.
Attacks on tankers transiting through the Strait of Hormuz rose in October, with at least 12 attacks on oil, liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas tankers around the waterway from Sept 28 to Oct 5.
That was the highest number of attacks in a single week since the US war with Iran began on Feb 28, according to maritime security sources.
A senior regional official close to Tehran told Reuters that Iran has warned regional countries that any attempt to open new export routes not authorised by the Islamic Republic will be viewed as hostile.
“The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have full control over it. This situation will continue until Iran’s legitimate demands are met,” commander Mohammadreza Naqdi of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Oct 7. - The Straits Times/ANN
