A tanker reported an explosion at its port-side waterline while leaving the Strait of Hormuz. UKMTO published a new warning on November 6, as a separate Gulf tanker attack was confirmed to have killed a seafarer.
- UKMTO reports waterline explosion east of Khasab
- UKMTO Warning 197-26, issued November 6, records a time-late report of an attack approximately 16 nautical miles east of Khasab, Oman.
- The Master reported an explosion at the port-side waterline during an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz.
- All crew were safe and accounted for when the incident was reported.
- The tanker remained under its own power and continued its voyage.
- UKMTO did not identify the vessel, its IMO number or the cause of the explosion. Authorities are investigating.
- Velos Sapphire fatality confirmed after Gulf attack
- On November 6, Greek manager Velos Tankers confirmed that one seafarer died following an explosion aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged products tanker Velos Sapphire, IMO 9321201.
- The incident occurred on November 4 at approximately 23:20 UTC, around 50 nautical miles north of Madinat ash Shamal, Qatar, according to maritime security reporting.
- The 74,998 dwt tanker was in ballast and heading towards Bahrain when struck.
- The missing crew member was subsequently found fatally injured. The remaining crew extinguished the fire, with no other injuries or pollution reported.
- The tanker reached Khalifa Bin Salman Port, Bahrain. Hull damage remained under assessment, and an investigation was planned.
- Drewry reports 46 planned blank sailings across East-West trades
- Drewry’s November 6 cancelled-sailings assessment forecasts 46 blank sailings over weeks 46 to 50, covering November 9 to December 14.
- The cancellations represent approximately 6% of 717 scheduled sailings on major East-West routes.
- Asia–North Europe and Mediterranean trades account for 50% of forecast cancellations, followed by transpacific eastbound services at 35% and transatlantic services at 15%.
- Drewry reports its World Container Index at USD 4,389 per 40-foot container on November 5, down 1% week on week.
- The forecast coincides with carrier routing adjustments as Suez Canal services resume selectively.
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Sources
UKMTO, Reuters, Velos Tankers, Seatrade Maritime, Drewry
DeepDraft Security Desk: https://thedeepdraft.com/maritime-security-dashboard/
This update is part of the DeepDraft SITREP series covering developing maritime operational situations.
Strait of Hormuz, Khasab, UKMTO, Tanker Attack, Maritime Security, Velos Sapphire, Gulf Shipping, Container Freight
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