Singapore-registered ship sinks after Strait of Hormuz strike; all crews safe

A Singapore-registered container ship sank and another sustained hull damage after separate strikes by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said on October 14. The Business Times reported the incidents and the safe condition of all 43 crew members.

GFS Pride was struck on October 13, according to the authority’s Singapore-time chronology. The vessel sustained damage and an onboard fire before sinking. All 21 crew members were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported.

GFS Giselle was struck the following day, October 14 in Singapore time. Its hull was damaged, but the vessel reached a safe anchorage under its own propulsion. All 22 crew members were safe and uninjured. The two ships therefore had different outcomes after the strikes: one was lost, while the other remained able to move to safety.

The authority said none of the crew on either vessel were Singaporean. It was in contact with the vessels’ management company and monitoring the situation. Singapore registration identifies the vessels’ registry; it does not establish that their crew hold Singaporean nationality.

MPA expressed deep concern over continued attacks on commercial ships in the strait. It described the attacks as unprovoked and unjustifiable, and as breaching international law. Its primary statement said actions affecting shipping must comply with international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and must not endanger ships or seafarers.

The authority described the projectiles as unknown. Its statement did not identify their origin or name a responsible party. The account of damage and crew safety comes from MPA; the wider conflict does not by itself establish who carried out these particular strikes.

The Business Times placed the strikes within a surge in attacks on commercial vessels using Hormuz. It recalled that three Liberian-flagged oil tankers—Al Ruwais, Mersin Prosperity and Sinbad—were struck by unknown projectiles at the end of September.

In early October, the Panama-flagged tanker On Peace was struck by an unknown projectile, injuring 12 crew members. Those earlier incidents involved oil tankers, while GFS Pride and GFS Giselle are container vessels.

The newspaper said the current Middle East conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. Before the conflict, the strait carried about a fifth of global trade in oil and liquefied natural gas, or LNG. LNG is natural gas cooled into liquid form to make transport practical.