(LONDON) — Following an attack on a containership in the Gulf of Oman, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Thursday decided to temporarily pause its evacuation operation pending further clarity.
The IMO began evacuating vessels from the region this week, in cooperation with member states and industry.
“Following the launch of the IMO’s evacuation plan, through which several vessels have already been successfully evacuated, I have decided to temporarily pause its implementation in order to reconfirm that the necessary safety guarantees continue to be in place for the ships on our evacuation list and all those in the region,” said IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez.
“I have been informed of an attack (Thursday) in the Gulf of Oman on a vessel which passed through the Strait of Hormuz. This vessel did not transit under IMO’s evacuation framework. I have always reiterated that the safety of the seafarers remains paramount. Therefore, to ensure a coordinated approach and navigational safety, the evacuation plan will be paused until further clarity is obtained,” he said.
“(Thursday) marks the Day of the Seafarer, underlining the importance of ensuring that the continued evacuation of the thousands of seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf can proceed without the risk of them becoming collateral victims in this geopolitical conflict.”
The vessel that was attacked has been identified as the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely, operated by Taiwan-based Evergreen Marine.
“The crew’s preliminary inspection revealed damage to the eaves of the bridge superstructure and to the bridge windows,” Evergreen Marine said in a prepared statement. It added that the ship’s main engine and navigation systems continued operating normally, with no impact on the vessel’s seaworthiness.
For updates on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, click here.
– International Maritime Organization
