Dry bulk ship struck near Strait of Hormuz, crew abandons ship, maritime sources say

A Liberia-flagged dry bulk ship, Minoan Pioneer, was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, with a crew member missing and a salvage operation underway.

The Liberia-flagged dry bulk ​ship, Minoan Pioneer, was ‌hit by ​an unknown projectile close to Oman's coast while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday ‌with the crew abandoning the vessel and one seafarer missing, maritime security sources said.

"The projectile reportedly struck the engine room, while a fire broke ‌out in the accommodation area. The crew are fighting the fire ‌and require assistance, while the third engineer is reported missing," British maritime risk management group Vanguard said separately. The vessel's Greece-based operator Modion Maritime Management did not immediately respond ⁠to ​a request for ⁠comment.

A salvage operation had been initiated and a tugboat with firefighting equipment was on ⁠its way, one of the maritime security sources said, adding that most of ​the vessel's crew were in a lifeboat and were safe. A liquefied ⁠natural gas tanker, which was struck off the coast of Oman on July ⁠31, ​was the last ship to have been damaged in the area, according to data from the UN’s shipping agency.

Iran has halted ⁠most traffic through Hormuz while Washington maintains a blockade of Iranian shipping ⁠and ports, disrupting ⁠a corridor that normally carries about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.