An Indian cargo ship has sunk after an explosion off the coast of Oman, maritime security firm Vanguard has claimed. The company said the ship was damaged by an attack by unknown assailants.
According to Vanguard, the ship was named MSV Haj Ali. It was carrying 14 sailors and was transporting livestock from the port of Barbera in Somalia’s breakaway Somaliland region to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.
The agency said a “suspicious explosion” occurred off the coast of Lima, Oman, south of the Strait of Hormuz. Initial speculation is that it could have been the result of a drone or missile strike.
The explosion caused a fire on the ship. The situation got out of control and the sailors were forced to abandon ship. The ship later sank, Vanguard reported.
According to the ship tracking website Maritime Traffic, the MSV Haj Ali was a 54-meter (177-foot) long wooden tugboat.
Earlier, India’s Ministry of External Affairs had said that all sailors on the ship had been safely rescued.
Source: Al-Jazeera