JAKARTA, March 8 (Bernama) — Three of four Indonesian crew members onboard a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-flagged tugboat are missing after the vessel caught fire and sank in the Strait of Hormuz, Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry said.
According to eyewitness accounts cited by the ministry, the tugboat Musaffah 2 experienced an explosion that caused it to catch fire and sink in waters between the UAE and Oman at about 2am local time on March 6.
“One Indonesian crew member is receiving treatment for burn injuries at a hospital in Khasab, Oman, while three other Indonesians are still being searched for by local authorities,” the ministry said on Saturday, according to ANTARA News Agency.
According to the ministry, the tugboat had seven crew members, including Indian and Filipino nationals. Four of the crew members survived the incident.
The ministry also said another Indonesian citizen who was at the scene but on a different vessel was reported safe.
Indonesia’s diplomatic missions in the UAE and Oman are coordinating with local authorities and relevant parties to locate the missing Indonesians, ensure treatment for the injured crew member and provide updates to the families in Indonesia, it said.
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes, with about a fifth of global oil consumption passing through the narrow waterway each day.
-- BERNAMA
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