[<Green Economy News> = Reporter Kim Ji-mun] The HMM container ship Namu, which suffered an unexplained explosion while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, arrived this morning at Dry Dock World Dubai for repairs.
HMM, South Korea’s largest shipping company and the vessel’s operator, told <Green Economy News> that the Namu arrived at the Dubai shipyard this morning. Around 3–4 a.m., government investigators boarded the ship and began an inquiry. HMM said it dispatched technical experts and staff to Dubai, but government teams are leading the probe while company personnel are concentrating on repairs.
In an interview with <Green Economy News>, HMM said that with the ship now in dock and the investigation under way, responsibility has effectively shifted to government authorities. The company added it is monitoring developments closely but understands the government is running the investigation.
On when the Namu might be able to sail under its own power, HMM said it is too early to estimate. Repairs and the probe have only just begun, and any timeline for a return to service remains uncertain.
The central question is whether an ‘external strike’ occurred — even within Iran, accounts diverge
The primary issue investigators are trying to resolve is whether the explosion was the result of an external strike. Photos circulated by some outlets show no obvious hull breaches or visible flooding to the naked eye, but several crew members reported warnings about drifting mines and said they heard explosions outside the vessel.
Iran’s state broadcaster PressTV reported yesterday that “force was used against the South Korean vessel Namu.” The Iranian embassy in Seoul, however, issued two clarification letters the same day denying that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was involved and saying PressTV’s report was based on commentary prepared by external sources.
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