08.05.2026 02:05
An explosion and fire occurred on a cargo ship operated by South Korea in the Strait of Hormuz. There were no casualties, and it was announced that 24 crew members remained on board and the fire was extinguished. While the cause of the explosion is under investigation, US President Donald Trump blamed Iran for the attack. Warnings were issued to South Korean ships due to security risks in the region.
An explosion and fire occurred on a cargo ship operated by South Korea in the Strait of Hormuz. While the cause of the incident is being investigated, US President Donald Trump blamed Iran for the attack.
FIRE AFTER EXPLOSION
South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that an explosion and fire took place on Monday on the Panama-flagged ship “HMM Namu”, operated by the company HMM. It was stated that the ship was empty and anchored at the time of the incident.
NO CASUALTIES
Authorities reported that the fire was extinguished and there were no casualties. It was reported that the 24 crew members on board the 35,000-ton vessel remained on the ship. The ship is expected to be towed to a nearby port for damage assessment and repairs.
CAUSE UNDER INVESTIGATION
While it was stated that the fire started in the engine room, it was announced that investigations are underway to determine whether the incident was caused by an attack, a drifting naval mine, or another external factor.
TRUMP BLAMES IRAN
US President Donald Trump claimed in a post on his social media platform that Iran fired on the ship and other targets. Trump also said that South Korea might join the initiative launched to escort ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.
ALERT STATUS IN THE REGION
Following the incident, the South Korean government requested its ships in the region to move to safer locations. It was reported that 26 South Korean-flagged ships are stranded around Hormuz.
COALITION DEBATE ON AGENDA
South Korea had previously announced that it would consider the US call to form an international naval force for safe passage in Hormuz, but emphasized that such a step requires parliamentary approval.