Two cargo ships sank near the Strait of Hormuz in separate projectile-related incidents—one after a strike on Tuesday and the other weeks after an earlier attack—while another vessel was damaged, renewing concern over safety in the busy shipping lane.
Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority said the container ship GFS Pride was struck on Oct. 13, caught fire and sank; all 21 crew members escaped without injury. The Antigua and Barbuda-flagged bulk carrier Cape Dao sank near the strait after being struck on Sept. 23; maritime sources said one crew member died in that earlier attack and the rest of the crew were evacuated. The Singapore authority also reported that GFS Giselle was hit on Oct. 14, sustaining hull damage before reaching a safe anchorage under its own power; all 22 crew members were safe.
It said the projectiles that hit the Singapore-registered ships were unidentified and did not name a perpetrator. The incidents come amid a reported rise in attacks around the waterway during the US-Iran conflict, heightening concern for commercial shipping. Before the war, about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade passed through the strait.
The sinkings underscore that the threat extends beyond tankers to container ships and bulk carriers as well.