HMM: Fire on Vessel in the Strait of Hormuz Extinguished... Cause of Incident to Be Investigated Today

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[The Financial News] An explosion and fire aboard an HMM bulk carrier anchored in the Strait of Hormuz were brought under control after about four hours. No casualties were reported, but tensions are rising as the possibility of an external attack has also been raised.
According to the industry on the 5th, an explosion was heard and a fire broke out on the port side of the engine room of HMM's small- to medium-sized bulk cargo vessel, which had been anchored near the Strait of Hormuz the previous day. The crew immediately began firefighting by releasing carbon dioxide, and the blaze was reportedly extinguished after about four hours.
An HMM official said, "CCTV footage currently indicates that the fire has been extinguished."
"The carbon dioxide must be removed before personnel can enter and determine the cause of the fire. We expect to complete the removal work today and begin the investigation," the official said. The official added, "We will later inspect the engine room directly to confirm the exact extent of the damage and the cause."
No injuries were reported in the incident. A total of 24 crew members were on board the vessel, including six South Koreans.
However, some have raised the possibility that the vessel may have been attacked from outside. With related intelligence having been received, the government has maintained that it is "verifying the facts." HMM also explained that it has not yet been confirmed whether the explosion was caused by an external strike or by an internal factor.
HMM is currently pushing ahead with a plan to deploy a tugboat to move the vessel to the Port of Dubai. The salvage operation is expected to take several days.
Meanwhile, HMM is operating a total of five vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, including one container ship, two tankers, and two bulk carriers.
hoya0222@fnnews.com Kim Dong-ho Reporter