Vessel Catches Fire After Projectile Strike Off Ras Al Khaimah, Maritime Agencies Say

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said firefighting was under way and that all crew had been evacuated. Maritime security firm Ambrey said the ship was struck at the stern as it was leaving the Strait of Hormuz, and that no injuries or pollution had been reported. Neither agency identified the vessel, its flag, its owner or its cargo, and no one had claimed responsibility in the reports available.

The strike is the latest in a series of attacks on merchant shipping in the Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz, which have increased in recent weeks. Before the US-Israel conflict with Iran, the waterway carried nearly one-fifth of the world's crude oil.

The attacks are now feeding directly into the accounts of Gulf companies. ADNOC Logistics & Services, the Abu Dhabi shipping group, said on Thursday that some of its owned and chartered vessels had been hit by projectiles while crossing Hormuz after the end of September, and that the ships were insured while the financial impact was still being assessed. On November 10 it said one of its vessels had been damaged in an attack in UAE territorial waters. There is no indication in the reports that Wednesday's vessel belongs to the group.

The same risk has lifted earnings for tanker owners willing to sail. Fewer shipowners are prepared to transit the strait, and Gulf-to-Asia day rates for very large crude carriers reached about $1.4 million in early October, against roughly $30,000 to $45,000 before the war began in February, The National reported, citing Bloomberg data.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency typically updates its advisories as incidents develop, and the identity of the stricken ship and the extent of the damage remain the main open questions.