UAE Coast Guard Rescues 22 Crew from Burning Ship in Gulf of Oman
The coast guard group of the UAE National Guard rescued all 22 crew members from a commercial ship on fire in the Gulf of Oman, the stretch of sea between the UAE’s east coast, Oman and Iran that leads to the Strait of Hormuz. The rescue was announced on Sunday, 8 November.
According to the statement, the crew reported a fire on board. Specialist rescue teams located the ship, reached it and evacuated everyone. The crew, described as Arab nationals, were given first aid and handed over to the relevant authorities. All 22 are reported to be in a stable condition.
From the CrewMirror Blog
The ship’s name and flag were not given, and the cause of the fire has not been disclosed. The Arabic statement called it a cargo vessel but also referred to it as a tanker, and its exact position was not released.
The rescue came during a tense period for shipping in the area. The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) has logged 177 maritime security incidents in the region since 1 March. On 7 November, a product tanker caught fire after a projectile strike off Khasab, Oman, and its crew abandoned ship. It is not clear whether the two fires are linked.
CrewMirror Takeaway
A quick distress call and a well-drilled abandon-ship routine helped bring every crew member off safely. Crews in the Gulf of Oman should keep fire and abandon-ship drills realistic and make sure the ship’s position and crew count can be passed to rescuers without delay.
