Latest news with #Suezmax-class
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Ship collision and fire Off UAE coast caused by navigational error, officials say
In the early hours of Tuesday, June 17, two large vessels, oil tanker ADALYNN and cargo ship Front Eagle, collided approximately 24 nautical miles off the UAE's eastern coast in the Gulf of Oman. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The incident, which occurred at around 1:30 a.m., resulted in minor hull damage to both ships, a small oil spill, and a fire that broke out in the fuel tank of one of the vessels, according to the UAE's Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI). According to , the Front Eagle was moving southbound at 13.1 knots when it executed a starboard (right) turn, colliding with the aft port side of the Adalynn , which was moving southeast at 4.8 knots. The MoEI confirmed on Wednesday, June 18, that the accident was due to 'navigational misjudgment by one of the vessels.' The fire was extinguished following prompt intervention by emergency teams, and no injuries were reported among the crew members of either ship. The two vessels involved are: ADALYNN, a Suezmax-class oil tanker owned by India-based Global Shipping Holding Ltd, flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda. It was sailing without cargo toward the Suez Canal in Egypt. Front Eagle, a Liberian-flagged cargo vessel owned by the Oslo-listed company Frontline. It was carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil bound for Zhoushan, China. Evacuation and Response The UAE National Guard confirmed that 24 crew members aboard the ADALYNN were evacuated by search and rescue boats and taken to the Port of Khor Fakkan. Personnel aboard the Front Eagle were confirmed safe, and no pollution was reported on that vessel despite the fire on its deck. According to Frontline , the fire on the Front Eagle was under control, and the incident is now under investigation, although the company emphasized that there was 'no suggestion of outside interference.' A technical investigation is underway in cooperation with international maritime authorities. The MoEI assured that it would be conducted transparently and in accordance with the highest global maritime standards. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Geopolitical Context: Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz The collision took place near the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow and strategic waterway that links the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. This area is critical, as about 20% of the world's seaborne oi, between 17.8 and 20.8 million barrels per day, according to Vortexa, flows through this route. This maritime zone has recently experienced electronic interference, amid escalating military tensions between Iran and Israel. Since Friday, both countries have exchanged missile fire, and according to maritime security firm Ambrey , 'the incident was not security-related.' Still, concerns remain. The Combined Maritime Force's JMIC information centre noted electronic signal interference in the region, particularly near Iran's Bandar Abbas port. Although Tehran has not issued any comment on the collision or the reported electronic disruptions, its history of threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to Western pressure has made the area increasingly volatile. As a result: Dozens of tankers were seen anchored in ports near Fujairah, Khor Fakkan, and Sharjah. Some shipping companies have paused operations or awaited charter decisions amid rising uncertainty. War risk insurance for ships heading to Israeli ports has increased, though rates for Gulf passages have remained stable, for now. 'Rates, for the time being, remain stable with no noticeable increases since the latest hostilities between Israel and Iran,' said David Smith , head of marine at insurance broker McGill and Partners . 'This position could change dramatically depending on any further escalation or general conflagration in the area.' UAE's Emergency Preparedness and Past Rescues The recent rescue underscores the UAE's strong maritime emergency response. Just weeks earlier: On June 4, the National Guard airlifted an injured crew member in his fifties from a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in UAE waters, flying him to a local hospital for urgent treatment. On May 18, 13 people were rescued from a sinking picnic boat, in an operation involving both citizens and residents. These coordinated efforts signal a robust and well-prepared emergency response capability from UAE authorities, especially as regional tensions continue to rise.
Daily Maverick
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Maverick
Two oil tankers collide and catch fire near Strait of Hormuz
By Maha El Dahan and Stine Jacobsen With Iran and Israel firing missiles at each other since Friday, interference has disrupted navigation systems near the vital sea route between Iran and Oman which handles about a fifth of the world's oil. The United Arab Emirates coast guard said it had evacuated 24 people from one of the ships, Adalynn, to Khor Fakkan port after the crash 24 nautical miles off its eastern coast. Personnel on the second tanker, the Front Eagle, were reported safe with no pollution seen after a fire on its deck, according to its owner, the Oslo-listed company Frontline The Front Eagle was loaded with 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil and was en route to Zhoushan in China, according to monitoring service The Adalynn, a Suezmax-class tanker owned by India-based Global Shipping Holding Ltd, had no cargo and was sailing towards the Suez Canal in Egypt, the monitoring service said. said on X that the Front Eagle was moving southbound at a speed of 13.1 knots when it 'executed a starboard (right) turn, resulting in a collision with the port quarter (aft port side)' of the Adalynn, which was proceeding southeast at 4.8 knots. The Strait of Hormuz links the Gulf to the northwest with the Gulf of Oman to the southeast and the Arabian Sea beyond. Between the start of 2022 and last month, roughly 17.8 million to 20.8 million barrels of crude, condensate and fuels flowed through daily, according to data from Vortexa. The multinational, U.S.-led Combined Maritime Force's JMIC information centre said in an advisory this week that it had received reports of electronic interference stemming from the vicinity of Iran's Port of Bandar Abbas (in Iran) and other areas in the Gulf region. Tehran has in the past threatened to close the strait to traffic in retaliation for Western pressure. Iran has not commented about Tuesday's collision or reports of electronic interference. There was no immediate response to a Reuters request for comment from the Emirati foreign ministry or Khor Fakkan container terminal early on Tuesday. (Reporting by Yomna Ehab and Enas Alashray in Cairo, Maha El Dahan in Dubai and Stine B. Jacobsen in Copenhagen; additional reporting by Jonathan Saul in London; Writing by Federico Maccioni; Writing by Federico Maccioni; Editing by Neil Fullick, William Maclean and Andrew Cawthorne)
