The Indonesian Foreign Ministry has reported that three people have gone missing after a tug suffered an onboard explosion and sank in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, March 6.
The UAE-flagged Mussafah 2 had seven crew on board at the time of the incident, though only four would later be rescued. The crew included Indian, Filipino, and Indonesian nationals.
The ministry did not provide details on the cause of the explosion, which ignited an onboard fire. However, security consultancy Vanguard said the tug was hit by two missiles of unknown origin as it was about to render assistance to the Malta-registered container vessel Safeen Prestige.
The containership itself was damaged by a projectile while underway in the strait off the coast of Oman on Wednesday, March 4, according to Vanguard.
The three missing crewmembers of Mussafah 2 as well as one survivor have been identified as Indonesian nationals. The surviving Indonesian sailor suffered burn injuries and is undergoing treatment in hospital in Oman.
The foreign ministry added that local authorities have begun an investigation into the incident.
