The government has launched a full-scale investigation into the HMM Namu, a bulk carrier that caught fire while anchored in the Strait of Hormuz.
On the 8th (local time), HMM and the Consulate General in Dubai said a government team boarded the HMM Namu after the vessel was towed to Dry Docks World Dubai in Dubai Harbor. The inspection began at about 10 a.m. local time (3 p.m. KST).
The seven-member team includes three inspectors from the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal, under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and four fire-forensics specialists from the National Fire Agency.
Investigators have secured the voyage data recorder (VDR)—the ship’s “black box”—and onboard CCTV footage for detailed analysis. They also plan to take formal statements from crew members who were aboard during the incident.
Officials from the local branch of the Korean Register (KR), HMM representatives and personnel from the vessel’s insurers are on site to support an independent, multi‑disciplinary probe.
Separately, HMM is conducting its own assessment of hull damage and repair requirements to expedite the ship’s restoration and return to service.
The central issue is whether the fire resulted from an external attack—including speculation about Iranian involvement—or from internal causes such as mechanical failure.
Crew members reported hearing a loud explosion during the incident, and theories about a floating mine have circulated. However, officials report no visible breach or flooding on the port side of the engine-room hull, and the government has maintained a cautious stance on whether the ship sustained a physical strike.
Careful forensic work to detect microscopic evidence at the scene is expected to be decisive in determining the cause. Once that work is complete, decisions on crew disembarkation and rotations will be made in line with the repair schedule.
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