Two tankers have reportedly been hit by explosions in the Gulf of Oman, with local media reports describing the incident as an 'attack.'
Kokuka CourageousBernhard Schulte GmbH & Co KG, which operates the vessel, explained in a statement posted to its website that the ship's"hull has been breached above the water line on the starboard side...All crew are reported safe and only one minor injury reported."
A company spokesperson told Reuters that 21 crew abandoned ship after the explosion. The spokesperson added that while the ship has sustained damage, it is in no danger of sinking.is owned by Norwegian company Frontline Ltd and is registered in the Marshall Islands. The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which is headquartered in Bahrain in the Persian Gulf, said in a statement that it was"aware of the reported attack on tankers on the Gulf of Oman," the Associated Press reported. The fleet said it was assisting the two tankers affected, but did not elaborate on any possible cause of the explosions and subsequent fires.
Reuters cited anonymous sources saying the crew on both tankers had been successfully evacuated and were safe, even though the vessels are reportedly still burning. The Associated Press noted that the benchmark Brent crude oil price rose by more than 4 percent in trading on Thursday morning, surpassing $62 per barrel.on four tankers off the coast of the UAE. The U.S. claims that Iranian agents used limpet mines to target the ships, none of which sunk despite sustaining damage.This file photo shows a cargo ship near the southeastern Iranian city of Chabahar, on the Gulf of Oman, on February 25, 2019.
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