The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said on the 5th it plans to tow the HMM-operated ship that had an explosion and fire in the Strait of Hormuz to a nearby port and then check the damage. It added that the exact cause of the accident will also be identified through that inspection.
Hwang Jong-woo, Minister of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF), ordered, "Move nearby Korean ships to safe waters" to prevent additional accidents.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) said, "All 24 crew members, including six Korean crew members aboard the HMM NAMU at the time of the accident, were confirmed to be unharmed," adding, "The shipboard fire has also been extinguished, and no additional damage has been identified."
It continued, "Whether the ship can operate normally is uncertain, so we plan to tow it to a nearby port to check the damage and carry out repairs," adding, "We are currently arranging a tugboat."
It added, "The exact cause of the accident is expected to be identified during the process of inspecting the damage after the ship is towed."
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) monitored the accident situation and the firefighting process by holding situation review meetings chaired by Minister Hwang Jong-woo at 10 p.m. the previous night and again at 9 a.m. the same day.
In the meeting, Minister Hwang said, "Do your utmost to take the necessary measures for the safety of our crew and ship," and ordered, "Instruct nearby Korean ships to move to safe waters."
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) said, "We are communicating closely with the shipping company and the ship, and we will do our best for the safety of the ship and our crew by working actively with relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."