The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre reported receiving reports late on Wednesday of an incident south-east of Mubarak Al Kabeer, Kuwait. According to UKMTO, a tanker has suffered a large explosion on its port side. UKMTO stated that the Master of a tanker at anchor reported witnessing and hearing a large explosion on the port side then seeing a small craft leave the vicinity.
UKMTO said the cause of the explosion has not been determined, and the identity and nationality of the tanker involved remain unknown. UKMTO confirmed that oil is seen gushing from the ship into the waters of the Persian Gulf, off the coast of Kuwait. There is oil in the water coming from a cargo tank, and UKMTO stated the oil spill is likely to cause some environmental impact, though the extent of the environmental damage is unclear.
The oil-slicked water is not on fire, but the vessel has taken on water. Authorities are investigating the incident. Vessels within the vicinity are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.
UKMTO stated the crew is all accounted for. This incident occurs amid other maritime incidents in the region. UKMTO reported a tanker off the coast of the United Arab Emirates by debris from an unknown projectile on Wednesday, 10 nautical miles east of Fujairah.
UKMTO stated that the tanker experienced a loud blast and debris from an unknown projectile was found on the deck, with the funnel sustaining minor damage but no major damage observed. All crew were safe and accounted for in the UAE incident. On Sunday, UKMTO reported that another vessel was struck by an unknown projectile 50 nautical miles north of Oman’s capital, Muscat.
The attack resulted in a fire in the vessel’s engine room that was quickly brought under control. It is the second incident the UK maritime reported on Sunday, with an earlier incident also taking place on Sunday off Oman’s Kumzar village in the Strait of Hormuz. Whether these incidents in the Persian Gulf region are connected is unknown.