A Singapore-flagged container ship, the GFS Pride, sank Wednesday morning in the southern Strait of Hormuz. All 21 crew were evacuated safely, with no injuries and no Singaporeans aboard.
Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority said the vessel was struck while transiting the strait and caught fire before sinking. The 2,824-TEU ship, built in 2008, is managed by Dubai-based GFS Ship Management.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy says the ship, carrying more than 2,500 containers, hit a naval mine, exploded and burned out of control. It said the vessel was on an “unauthorized and dangerous route,” and warned local boats and fishermen to watch for floating containers. Iranian state television aired footage of the ship listing heavily and emitting thick smoke.
A second Singapore-registered vessel, the GFS Giselle, was also struck and suffered hull damage, but reached a safe anchorage under its own power. All 22 crew are safe and uninjured.
Singapore called the attacks unprovoked, unjustifiable and a breach of international law. Iran has insisted for months that ships need its approval to pass.
Before the war, 125 to 140 large commercial vessels crossed the strait daily. Traffic nearly stopped when US and Israeli airstrikes began on February 28.
Administrator and Writer
