27 Feb 2021 / 00:28 H.
By Lisa Barrington
DUBAI, Feb 26 (Reuters) - An Israeli-owned ship, the MV HELIOS RAY, was hit by an explosion in the Gulf of Oman overnight Thursday and a U.S. defence official said the blast left holes in both sides of the vessel s hull. The cause was not immediately clear.
The vehicle-carrier ship is owned by a Tel-Aviv based company called Ray Shipping through a company registered in the Isle of Man, according to a U.N. shipping database. Investigations are ongoing. Vessel and crew are safe, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said in an advisory notice on Friday. It urged vessels in the area to exercise caution.
Israeli cargo ship hit by unexplained explosion in Gulf of Oman independent.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from independent.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A spokesman for Israel s Transportation Ministry said it had no information about an Israeli vessel having been struck in the Gulf.
A company with the name Helios Ray Ltd is incorporated in the Isle of Man. The ship was managed by Stamco Ship Management, Refinitiv ship tracking data showed. Stamco Ship Management declined to comment when contacted by phone by Reuters. Whilst details regarding the incident remain unclear it remains a realistic possibility that the event was the result of asymmetric activity by Iranian military, Dryad said in a report on the incident.
Refinitiv data shows the ship has set Dubai as its current destination.
An explosion has struck an Israeli-owned ship near the strategic mouth of the Gulf, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and a maritime security firm said on Friday.
The crew and vessel were safe, according to the UKMTO, which is run by the British navy. The explosion forced the Bahamas-flagged ship, the MV Helios Ray, to head to the nearest port.
The incident occurred at 20:40 GMT on Thursday, the UKMTO said, but gave no details about a possible cause.
“Vessels transiting the area are advised to exercise caution,” it said.
The US Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet was “aware and monitoring” the situation, Commander Rebecca Rebarich told The Associated Press news agency. She declined to immediately comment further.
Vehicle-carrier ship hit by explosion in Gulf of Oman reuters.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from reuters.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.