A tanker loaded with crude oil was hit by an Iranian drone in the port of Dubai on Monday evening, causing a fire on board and reigniting fears for the safety of civilian sailors in the conflict zone during the war between the US-Israel and Iran.
According to The Guardian, hundreds of sailors on other ships anchored near the port witnessed the explosion and fire that engulfed the tanker. Thousands more listened to the crew's radio communications with port authorities as the situation unfolded.
A sailor from a tanker anchored a few miles from the site of the explosion said the explosion happened around midnight. "Our officers on the bridge saw the explosion. When I returned to the bridge a few hours later, the fire was still going on. It's terrible to imagine what those sailors went through," he told the British newspaper.
Dubai authorities confirmed that the drone attack hit the Salmi tanker, which belongs to the state-owned Kuwaiti oil company. They said the fire on board was extinguished in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Marine firefighting teams intervened to extinguish the flames and assess the damage. Authorities stressed that there was no oil leak or injuries, while all 24 crew members are safe.
Another sailor said that radio communications during the attack showed great professionalism from the stricken crew. “We could hear them on the radio when they were hit. They were very calm and professional. By the time the rescue tug arrived, they had almost brought the fire under control themselves. The fire lasted about three hours,” he said.
Following the incident, dozens of oil tankers have left the area, trying to avoid further possible attacks by Iran on ships belonging to Gulf countries.
“There are other Kuwaiti tankers around here, with crews who are not involved in this conflict. If I feel scared, I can’t imagine how they feel,” the sailor said. “We have raised anchor and moved on. Most of the ships have left, but there is really no safe place here.”
The attack came just hours after Donald Trump warned that the US could destroy Iran's power plants and oil fields if Tehran does not open the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The month-long conflict in the Middle East has caused thousands of casualties, disrupted global energy supplies and raised fears of a global economic crisis.
Following reports of the tanker attack, the price of Brent crude rose above $118 per barrel, as markets are experiencing one of the biggest monthly gains in history.
According to reports, the tanker Salmi was headed to Qingdao in China and had the capacity to transport around 2 million barrels of oil, with a value exceeding $200 million.
