Small Container Ship Abandoned After Being Hit in Hormuz

A container vessel was abandoned after being hit while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a UK naval group said, as conflict continues to menace commercial shipping in the region.

The ship is the Safeen Prestige, according to maritime security companies, and is capable of carrying about 1,800 containers. Its manager couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.

The ship’s satellite track shows it sailing through Hormuz and then slowing. UK Maritime Trade Operations said the vessel was hit by an unknown projectile just above the waterline.

It led to a fire in the engine room and no environmental impact had been reported at that time. The crew later abandoned the vessel and there are no reported injuries, it added.

While the ship is relatively small compared with the size of the world’s biggest carriers, global markets have a heightened focus on all vessels transiting Hormuz at the moment as it has become a blockage for trade in goods and commodities. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the US would consider providing naval escorts “if necessary.”