The bulk carrier Mayuree Naree, owned by a Thai company, was on its way to Kandla Port in India when it was attacked.
The Royal Thai Navy said a Thai-flagged cargo ship was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz shortly after leaving a port in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday. Twenty sailors have been rescued, but three are still missing.
The Mayuri Nari, a bulk carrier owned by the Thai company Precious Shipping Pcl, was en route from Khalifa Port in the UAE to Kandla Port in India when it was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Images released by the Royal Thai Navy show thick black smoke billowing from the ship’s hull and superstructure and life rafts floating in the surrounding water.
The Royal Thai Navy said in a statement that “the specific details and cause of the attack are still under investigation.”
The statement said the Omani Navy rescued 20 sailors and “efforts are ongoing to rescue the remaining three crew members.”
Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said three commercial ships were attacked in the Gulf yesterday. It’s unclear whether the Mayuri Nari was one of them.
According to a Royal Thai Navy statement, the ship is 178 meters long and weighs 30,000 tons.
The attack comes at a time when the Middle East is grappling with a deepening crisis. Israel, supported by US military forces, attacked Iran on February 28. Tehran retaliated by attacking Tel Aviv and other Middle Eastern countries where US military bases are located and has repeatedly threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital waterways for global energy supplies.