HMM Namoo Arrives in Dubai After Fire Incident Investigation Begins

HMM Namoo [Photo: HMM]

The HMM Namoo, which caught fire due to an explosion while anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, has arrived in Dubai, UAE, approximately 12 hours after being towed from the incident site. According to HMM, the vessel reached the vicinity of Dubai port at 5:20 a.m. Korean time, towed by a tugboat from near Umm al-Quwain. The Namoo is now docked at Drydocks World Dubai, the largest repair yard in the Middle East, where it will undergo repairs and an investigation into the cause of the fire. This process is expected to take an additional three hours. An HMM official stated, "Since the ship is without power, docking may take considerable time. External personnel, including investigators, are expected to board the vessel later this morning." The investigation will be conducted by a government team comprising three investigators from the Central Maritime Safety Tribunal and four fire department experts. The focus will be to determine whether the fire was caused by external factors, such as an attack from Iran, or internal issues related to the vessel itself. On May 4, at approximately 8:40 p.m. Korean time, the HMM Namoo experienced a fire in the engine room while anchored north of Sharjah in the UAE. The vessel, registered in Panama and operated by South Korea's largest shipping company HMM, had 24 crew members on board, including six South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries from the incident. Currently, five HMM vessels are stranded in the Persian Gulf, including two oil tankers, two bulk carriers, and one container ship. The HMM Namoo is classified as a bulk carrier.

* This article has been translated by AI.

Lee nakyeong nakk@ajunews.com