Chemical tanker Stolt Magnesium hit by explosion off Oman
A fire broke out in the engine room, but all crew were reported safe
The chemical tanker Stolt Magnesium caught fire after what its manager described as the explosion of an unidentified external device while it was sailing in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman. The incident, which occurred in the early hours, caused a blaze in the vessel's engine room, according to a statement from the operator, part of a Norwegian shipping group.
All of the vessel's seafarers were reported safe and accounted for, and the crew had begun fighting the fire. Maritime security authorities reported an incident some 40 nautical miles northeast of Oman's Qalhat, a position that matched tracking data for the tanker.
The fire came amid a broader wave of attacks on commercial shipping in the region, with two crude tankers reported struck while transiting the Strait of Hormuz in a separate incident that caused significant damage and the death of one crew member. The disruption has kept a spotlight on the safety of seafarers and merchant traffic through one of the world's most important energy corridors.
