Merchant vessel catches fire after attack near Strait of Hormuz

A merchant vessel caught fire after being struck near the eastern entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship-to-ship radio communications obtained exclusively by Xinhua from a seafarer on Friday evening, London Time.

The recording, transmitted over an open maritime radio channel, showed crew members battling a fire and urgently requesting assistance.

According to the communications, the vessel was near the Omani coast when it was struck, sparking a fire in the engine room.

The crew had activated the ship's onboard carbon dioxide fire suppression system and attempted to control the blaze through ballast operations. Firefighting efforts were complicated by a failure of the ship's hydraulic system, the recording indicated.

In another segment of the communications, several nearby vessels said they were heading toward the scene to provide assistance.

The waters around the Strait of Hormuz have witnessed multiple attacks on vessels in recent days, with many of the incidents occurring along shipping routes near the Omani side of the strait.