Thursday, September 2, 2010

An investigation has been launched into a suspected attack on a supertanker shortly after it left the UAE.

The explosion occurred on the M Star shortly after midnight as it entered the Strait of Hormuz, heading out of the Arabian Gulf. It was carrying 270,000 tonnes of crude oil, with 31 crew members on board. No one was hurt.

Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd (MOI), the Japanese owner of the tanker, said in a statement it “suffered hull damage caused by an explosion which seemed to be an attack from an external source”.

Kazuni Nakamura, from MOL, added: “At the moment, all we can say is it seems to be an attack. The crew saw a light a few moments before the explosion. We will take counter measures in the future and increase the number of crew members on board to watch for possible danger.”

But Nakamura said the cause could not be confirmed yet, adding: “An investigation will happen once the tanker arrives in Fujairah. Then we will know for sure.”

The M Star was due to arrive in Fujairah last night. It had been heading from Das Island in the UAE to the Japanese port of Chiba.

The US Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, which patrols the region, said it is investigating the explosion but does not know what caused it.

Initial reports said a lifeboat was blown off the ship and some starboard hatches were damaged.

Call for more security
If the M Star was attacked then it is clear proof that extra safety measures must be taken, said security experts. It would be a rare assault on a tanker in the Gulf or at the Strait of Hormuz, a transit point for about 40 per cent of oil shipped by tankers worldwide.

“Private security guards on ships are a very good option. It is expensive but useful in preventing any kind of attacks either from terrorists or pirates,” said Sharjah-based shipping expert Captain Sorab D Bhathena. And Dr Theodore Karasik, from the Institute of Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, said: “There’s always the potential for an attack on shipping in and around the region. Clearly we need greater surveillance, and, if this is some kind of attack, there needs to be a review of the strategic side of professional international shipping.”

mishaal@7days.ae