BANGKOK, Thailand: A Thai-flagged cargo vessel was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, with 20 crew members rescued and three others missing, Thai authorities said.
The Marine Department and the Royal Thai Navy said the vessel, Mayuree Naree, owned by Precious Shipping Public Co. Ltd, was struck at the stern shortly after departing Khalifa Port in the United Arab Emirates.
A total of 23 Thai crew members were on board at the time of the incident.
Deputy spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, Panidone Pachimsawat, said the embassy had coordinated with Oman’s Foreign Ministry to facilitate urgent assistance.
“Twenty Thai crew members have been rescued by the Royal Navy of Oman, while efforts continue to locate the remaining three,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
He added that the rescued crew members have been brought ashore in Khasab, Oman.
Panidone said the Foreign Ministry continues to coordinate with relevant authorities to assist in the search for the three missing crew members and establish the facts surrounding the incident.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed sharply since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28, with several vessels targeted in or near the waterway in recent days.
Britain’s maritime security agency UKMTO said about 10 vessels in or near the Strait of Hormuz have come under attack.
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) said on its website on March 6 that a total of nine attacks on ships in the strait were recorded within one week, including four incidents that killed seven people. – By Kenny Teng/BERNAMA
