Abu Dhabi [UAE], June 18: The crew from an oil tanker was rescued on Tuesday following a collision involving two such vessels near the Strait of Hormuz.
The United Arab Emirates National Guard said the evacuation took place on Tuesday after the crude oil tanker, Adalynn, struck another ship - understood to be the Front Eagle oil tanker - managed by the Anglo Eastern shipping firm which is headquartered in Hong Kong.
The Adalynn was bound for Egypt's Suez Canal at the time of the incident in the Gulf of Oman.
"The ship's crew was evacuated from the incident site, located 24 nautical miles off the country's coast, to the Port of Khor Fakkan using search and rescue boats," the Emirati National Guard said in a post on X.
Collision not security related - British maritime intelligence
British maritime security firm Ambrey said the cause of an incident, 22 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan, was not security-related.
Shipping company Frontline said its oil tanker Front Eagle had been involved in a collision and described the event as a navigational incident that was not related to the ongoing regional conflict between Israel and Iran.
"Following the incident immediate action was taken to extinguish a fire on deck of the Front Eagle. We are aware of reports of a fire onboard the Adalynn following the collision," a Frontline statement said.
The company went on to say that it was "closely monitoring the situation and is cooperating fully with the relevant authorities as emergency response efforts continue."
Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil gateway
The strait is a vital maritime entry point to the Persian Gulf, accounting for the passage of around a fifth of the world's oil, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
Since the escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran, there has been growing concern the waterway could be blocked.
On Friday, the Financial Times reported that Frontline would turn down new contracts to sail into the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz due to the deteriorating situation in the region.
Source: Times of Oman
