An oil tanker flying under the Bahamas flag suffered hull damage after an explosion occurred while the vessel was anchored near an Iraqi port. The incident happened early Thursday morning when an unidentified small boat approached the tanker before a loud blast was heard.
A crude oil tanker sustained what appears to be hull damage following an explosion that occurred while the ship was moored near an Iraqi port facility, according to the vessel’s operating company.
The incident involving the Sonangol Namibe, which operates under a Bahamas flag, took place early Thursday morning near Iraq’s Khor al Zubair port when an unidentified small craft came alongside the tanker around 1:20 a.m. local time.
According to a statement from Sonangol Marine Services, the company representing the vessel, the small watercraft moved toward the left side of the oil tanker before the explosion occurred.
“The small boat approached the port side of the tanker and a short time later a loud bang was heard,” Sonangol Marine Services said in a statement.
The company reported that the tanker’s crew has observed water escaping from a ballast tank on the port side, indicating possible damage to the ship’s exterior structure. However, officials emphasized that the vessel continues to maintain stability and remains safely positioned in the water.
“The crew reports that a port ballast tank is losing water which suggests some form of hull breach but the ship remains stable and safely afloat,” the company stated.
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