On Wednesday, thick smoke billowed from the Thai-flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree after two projectiles hit its hull above the waterline. (Precious Shipping Plc)
A Thai-flagged cargo ship, Mayuree Naree, was hit by projectiles while transiting 11 nautical miles north of Oman on March 11, causing the vessel to catch fire. According to the Royal Thai Navy, the vessel was struck after departing Khalifa Port in the United Arab Emirates. Mayuree Naree was reported to have departed for Kandla, India. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later claimed responsibility, stating that the ship ‘ignored the warnings’.
The incident caused the evacuation of 23 crews aboard the ship. To date, three are still believed to be trapped inside the engine room, with the Omani Navy’s ‘efforts currently underway to rescue the remaining three crew members’. The 20 are successfully rescued by the Omani Navy and are being transported to Khasab.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and several news outlets have reported that a series of attacks have targeted international vessels. These actions form part of Iran’s broader response following the subsequent offensive strike by the US and Israel. The IRGC stated that if the attack continued, it would not allow ‘one litre of oil’ to pass through the Hormuz Strait, which is a critical global passage for 20% of global oil transport.
Mayuree Naree was among the 17 ships attacked in the Strait of Hormuz between February 28 and March 11, three of which occurred on the same day when it was struck. Following the incident, the Thai navy said that ‘specific details and cause of the attack are currently under investigation’.
The vessel, which is owned by Precious Shipping Public Company Limited (PSL), a major Thai shipping company, measures 178 metres in length and weighs around 30,000 tonnes. It is reported that the company has been notified about the trapped crews aboard and continues to coordinate with relevant authorities regarding this incident.
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