Blast hits Japanese oil tanker near Oman
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010
A Japanese oil tanker has been damaged by an explosion in the Strait of Hormuz near Oman, causing a minor injury to one crew member.
Japanese officials say the blast might have been caused by an attack, although piracy in the area is rare.
There are no reports of any oil leaking from the tanker, the M Star.
The Strait of Hormuz links the ports of oil-rich states such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait with export markets. It is operating normally, officials say.
The M Star was loaded with some two million barrels of crude oil when the incident occurred, said Japan's Mitsui OSK, which owns and operates the vessel.
The location of the explosion at the rear starboard suggested the blast was unlikely to have been caused by oil on the tanker, Mitsui was quoted as saying by the Japanese transport ministry in Tokyo.
"In addition, a crew member saw light on the horizon just before the explosion, so [Mitsui] believes there is a possibility it was caused by an outside attack," the ministry statement said.
The company said the tanker was sailing under its own power towards the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates to check the damage.
The vessel, with 16 Filipino and 15 Indian crew members on board, had been bound for Chiba port near Tokyo.
About 40% of the world's traded oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz.