SEOUL, May 6 (Reuters) – South Korean shipper HMM said on Wednesday it had secured a vessel to tow a bulk carrier it operates to a port in Dubai after an explosion and fire damaged the ship, which had been stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. President Donald Trump blamed the incident on an Iranian attack, while South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said the cause of the fire would only be confirmed after the vessel was towed back to port and inspected.
HMM said in a text message that the damaged vessel was expected to arrive in Dubai on Thursday night or Friday morning Seoul time.
The Panama-flagged ship, named HMM Namu, suffered an explosion and caught fire on Monday evening. The fire was later extinguished, with no casualties and all 24 crew members remaining on board, according to the company.
In a post on social media, Trump said Iran fired shots at a Korean-operated ship and other targets as the U.S. launched its operation to open the strait. He urged South Korea to join the effort. In normal times, about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the waterway.
South Korea has been cautious about becoming too directly embroiled in the Middle East conflict, but the presidential Blue House said on Tuesday it was reviewing Trump’s suggestion that Seoul participate in the plan to free up navigation.
Trump later said he would briefly pause the operation to help escort ships through the strategic waterway, citing “great progress” toward a comprehensive agreement with Iran.
(Reporting by Heejin KimEditing by Ed Davies)
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