The Middle East is in a state of heightened tension due to the fierce conflict between Iran and Israel. In the meantime, two oil tankers collided off the coast of the United Arab Emirates near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. One of the tankers caught fire in the collision in the Gulf of Oman. At least 24 crew members of the tanker were later rescued, the Emirates Coast Guard and a shipping company said.
British maritime safety agency Ambre said that although the two tankers collided off the coast of the Emirates during the ongoing war between Iran and Israel, it was not a safety incident.
On the other hand, shipping company Frontline said that their owned tanker ‘Front Eagle’ collided with another oil tanker named ‘Adaline’. The incident occurred 15 nautical miles off the coast of Oman. The fire on the Front Eagle was extinguished after the collision.
The company said that there were reports of a fire on the Adaline tanker after the collision. However, there was no immediate report of any oil spillage.
In a post on social media, the UAE National Coast Guard said that 24 crew members had been rescued from the Adaline tanker after the collision in the Gulf of Oman.
The collision between the two tankers occurred near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. About a fifth of global oil trade passes through this waterway. Source: Reuters, AFP