On Wednesday, a seafarer lost their life and another crew member went missing following an incident involving the Gibraltar-flagged oil tanker Hercules Star, off the coast of Dubai, according to the vessel’s charterer, Peninsula. The tanker was anchored at the time of the incident, and while Peninsula confirmed the fatality, the cause of death remains unspecified. They expressed their sorrow over the situation and noted that a specialist team has been dispatched to search for the missing crew member, with all other personnel accounted for and safe.
Reports from maritime security sources suggest that the tanker may have been struck by a drone. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also received a report about a vessel listing at anchor approximately 24 nautical miles from the UAE’s Port Rashid, indicating possible water ingress due to an attack from an unidentified projectile. Notably, this location is in proximity to where the Hercules Star is anchored.
While the exact cause of the incident is still under investigation, Peninsula has not confirmed whether the tanker was indeed targeted or struck. In a related incident, another tanker carrying around 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil was reportedly hit by a drone within Iraq’s territorial waters, though there is no evidence to link this occurrence with the Hercules Star incident.
