JAKARTA - The South Korean Presidential Office held a meeting to discuss the explosion on a Panama-flagged cargo ship operated by HMM Co. in the Strait of Hormuz.
"The presidential chief of staff, Kang Hoon-sik, and other senior officials attended the meeting," presidential spokesman Kang Yu-jung said. However, there were no details on what was discussed at the meeting.
The explosion on the ship occurred at around 20.40 on Monday (4/5) Korean time, when the HMM Namu docked in the waters off the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to an HMM statement, Tuesday.
The fire started in the engine room and the crew tried to put it out using carbon dioxide for about four hours. No injuries were reported, said the South Korean container shipping and transport company.
HMM said security camera footage on the deck showed the fire had been extinguished and it would inspect the engine room to assess the damage.
As reported by ANTARA from Yonhap, Tuesday, May 5, the cargo ship was carrying 24 crew members, consisting of six South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals. HMM is investigating the cause of the explosion and fire, as well as the level of damage on the ship.
"It is still unclear whether the incident was caused by an external attack or internal damage," an HMM official said.
HMM is trying to tow the cargo ship to Dubai, which is expected to take several days. The South Korean government also said authorities are trying to determine the cause of the explosion and fire.
Industry officials said the South Korean-operated vessels in the UAE's offshore waters were heading to Qatar in line with the government's move to avoid the Strait of Hormuz for safety.
Meanwhile, on Monday (4/5), US President Donald Trump said Iran had fired at a South Korean cargo ship and other targets. Trump also called on Seoul to participate in an important American mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The incident of the explosion and fire of the HMM cargo ship occurred after the Americans launched an operation called Project Freedom to guide commercial ships stranded due to the US-Israeli war and against Iran to leave the waterway.
HMM operates five vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, including one container ship and two oil tankers.
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