Japanese oil tanker attacked in Gulf

[demoleft]

Source: aap

AN explosion hit a Japanese oil tanker in the early hours of this morning in the Strait of Hormuz near Iran and Oman, and the crew attributed the blast to an attack, the transport ministry said.

One crew member was injured and the ship, belonging to Mitsui OSK Lines, was partly damaged but able to continue sailing after the blast hit at 12.30am local time (6:30am AEST), the Japanese ministry said.

"Since one of the crew saw a flash on the horizon immediately before the blast, the company suspects it was highly likely an attack," the transport ministry said, adding that the area was not known for commercial piracy.

The vessel, staffed by 16 crew from the Philippines and 15 Indians, was carrying 270,000 tones of crude oil, but did not suffer a spill.




Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/japanese-oil-tanker-attacked-in-gulf/story-e6frfku0-1225898147269

[Bobbieo]

1. Notthing like despoiling the Gulf of Oman while we're at it!! What;s another oil spoill on the

fragile planet!!!

[melm00se]

3. ummmm

from the article:

The vessel, staffed by 16 crew from the Philippines and 15 Indians, was carrying 270,000 tones of crude oil, but did not suffer a spill.

[DavidDvorkin]

2. Uh oh. Bad news.

[frylock]

4. the strait of hormuz incident..

here we go folks!

[WheelWalker]

6. Deja Vu all over again.

[Mike Daniels]

5. Whoa. That's the shipping company my dad works for...

He's in managment in the US but I'll have to check to see what he knows.

[bananas]

7. Explosion rocks Japanese tanker in Persian Gulf

Source: Associated Press

An explosion damaged a Japanese oil tanker as it exited the Persian Gulf on Wednesday. Though the cause of the blast was not immediately known, the ship's owner said the vessel may have been attacked.

If an attack, it would be a rare assault on a tanker in the Gulf or at the Strait of Hormuz, a transit point for about 40 percent of oil shipped by tankers worldwide. Al-Qaida has in the past carried out attacks on oil infrastructure on land in nearby Saudi Arabia, as well as a 2002 suicide bombing against a French oil tanker off the coast of Yemen.

The blast onboard the M. Star supertanker happened shortly after midnight as it entered the strait, heading out of the Gulf, Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines said.

Mitsui said the explosion at the back of the ship was believed to be caused by "a suspected attack from the outside" while the ship was passing through Omani waters in the western part of the strategically vital strait, a narrow chokepoint between Oman and Iran at the Gulf's mouth.

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Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iV1R7V9IJw2dQfRwLHnCIsHFJPdQD9H81BH80

[dipsydoodle]

8. Another one ? Or duplicate LBN ?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4481959

[bananas]

9. Same one - I looked but didn't see that one. nt

[dipsydoodle]

10. Well that's sure better

than two of them being hit.

:hi: