Seoul said on Tuesday that authorities will investigate the cause of an explosion and fire on a South Korean-operated ship in the Strait of Hormuz in an incident US President Donald Trump blamed on an Iranian attack.
“The exact cause of the accident would be figured out after the vessel is towed and its damage is assessed,” South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Panama-flagged cargo ship operated by South Korean shipper HMM was empty and at anchor when the explosion and fire occurred on Monday.
The ministry said there were no casualties and the fire had been extinguished. The ship, named HMM Namu, would be towed to a nearby port so that the damage could be assessed and repairs carried out, the ministry said.
An HMM spokesperson said the 24 crew remained on board the 35,000-tonne general cargo vessel.
The fire had broken out in the engine room and surveillance camera footage showed it had been extinguished, the spokesperson said.
British maritime risk management group Vanguard said authorities would investigate whether the damage might have been caused by an attack, a drifting sea mine or another external object.
