UAE Coast Guard rescues 22 from struck tanker, India’s shipping minister says

The UAE Coast Guard rescued all 22 crew members from the oil tanker Dominica Prosperity after a projectile hit its engine room and started a fire, India’s shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said. UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said no casualties were reported.

The strike was one of 4 separate tanker attacks documented in the Joint Maritime Information Center’s November 12 advisory since its previous report. In an earlier attack on 10 November, the tanker Fujairah Energy was struck by an unknown projectile; UKMTO said multiple crew members were injured and taken ashore for treatment.

UKMTO said the unidentified projectile hit the Liberia-flagged tanker at approximately 22:00 UAE time (22:00 Yerevan time) on 11 November, about 14 nautical miles northwest of Ras Al Khaimah, near Mina Saqr. Sonowal said the vessel had been drifting off Mina Saqr when it was targeted.

Firefighting and crew support

Sonowal said 19 of the rescued crew were Indian nationals and all were safe and uninjured. Indian authorities were in contact with the vessel’s management company to coordinate support for the crew, Sonowal said.

Firefighting was still underway when UKMTO issued its November 12 warning. The extent of the damage and any environmental impact remained unknown, and the warning did not establish who was responsible for the strike.

Reuters, citing maritime risk information provider MARISKS, reported that South Korea’s Sinokor Maritime operates the tanker. Vessel records from MagicPort list HAUT BRION 56 LTD as the registered owner, SINOKOR MARITIME CO LTD as commercial manager and ANGLO-EASTERN SHIPMANAGEMENT S as ISM manager, responsible for safe-operation management. UKMTO has advised vessels in the region to exercise caution and report suspicious activity while authorities investigate the incidents.