Ship collision off UAE coast that caused fire was due to misjudgment, says authority

The collision between an oil tanker ADALYNN and cargo vessel Front Eagle on Tuesday, June 17, off the UAE's coast was due to "navigational misjudgment by one of the vessels", the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) revealed on Wednesday, June 18.

The incident took place approximately 24 nautical miles off the coast of the UAE in the Gulf of Oman and led to minor surface damage to the outer hulls of both ships, a small oil spill, and a fire that broke out in the fuel tank of one of the ships.

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The authority confirmed that the fire was extinguished after relevant authorities intervened. "No injuries were reported among the crew members of either vessel," it added.

The UAE's National Guard had earlier confirmed there were 24 crew members onboard who were all evacuated via search and rescue boats and were transported to the Port of Khor Fakkan.

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The incident happened at 1.30 am on Tuesday, June 17, when authorities received reports of the collision between the two ships — one being an oil tanker named ADALYNN, sailing under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, and the other a cargo vessel named Front Eagle, flying the flag of Liberia.

Technical investigation is underway in coordination with relevant international bodies, the authority stated, adding that the probe would be carried out with transparently and in accordance with the highest international maritime standards.

'Not security related'

Adalynn and Front Eagle oil tankers collided near the Strait of Hormuz, where electronic interference has surged during conflict between Iran and Israel.

While the British maritime security firm Ambrey didn't provide any details about the incident, it earlier said that the cause of the incident which happened near the Strait of Hormuz was not security-related.

The event unfolded as tensions escalated between Israel and Iran, with both nations exchanging attacks following Israel's widescale strikes on Friday aimed at preventing Tehran from building an atomic weapon.

The Strait of Hormuz lies between Oman and Iran and links the Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond.

About a fifth of the world's total oil consumption passes through the strait. Between the start of 2022 and last month, roughly 17.8 million to 20.8 million barrels of crude, condensate and fuels flowed through the strait daily, according to data from Vortexa.

Inputs from WAM, Reuters