ATHENS, Nov 6 (Reuters) – A seafarer lost their life due to an explosion, which is believed to have been caused by a missile attack, on an oil products tanker in the Gulf on Thursday, according to the ship's management.
The tanker, MT Velos Sapphire, flagged under the Marshall Islands, was sailing empty towards Bahrain when it was struck, said Velos Tankers, a Greek management company, in a statement.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our seafarers. He was found critically injured aboard the ship after being initially reported missing following the explosion,” the company stated.
Fortunately, no other crew members were hurt. They managed to put out a fire caused by the explosion, and there were no reports of any pollution, Velos Tankers added.
The ship was later taken to Khalifa Bin Salman Port in Bahrain, and an investigation will be conducted. The damage to the ship's hull is still being evaluated.