Fire on South Korean cargo ship in Strait of Hormuz extinguished, no injuries reported

A fire that broke out following an explosion aboard a bulk carrier operated by a major South Korean shipping company in the Strait of Hormuz has been extinguished, with no injuries reported, local media said Tuesday.

The incident occurred late Monday while the HMM Namu was anchored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The fire originated in the engine room, where crew members battled the blaze for about four hours using the ship’s carbon dioxide systems.

All 24 crew members, comprising six South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals, were confirmed safe.

The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

An official with South Korea's HMM Co., which operates the carrier, said it remains unclear whether the incident was caused by an external attack or an internal malfunction.

The ship is expected to be towed to Dubai for further inspection and damage assessment.

On Monday, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said a fire broke out following an explosion on the Panama-flagged vessel around 8.40 pm South Korean time (1140GMT).

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the explosion and fire as well as the extent of the damage.

Twenty-six South Korean-flagged ships remain stranded in the strait.

On Monday, Iranian state media reported that two missiles struck a US Navy vessel near Jask Island in the Gulf of Oman, but the United States firmly denied the claim.

The developments come as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps earlier warned that any vessels violating transit protocols issued by Tehran in the Strait of Hormuz "will be forcefully stopped."

The US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Since April 13, the US has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the strategic waterway.

A two-week ceasefire became effective on April 8 through Pakistani mediation followed by direct talks in Islamabad on April 11-12 but no agreement was reached on a lasting truce.

US President Donald Trump later extended the ceasefire without setting a new deadline, following a request from Pakistan.