One of the largest ships in Iran‘s naval fleet caught on fire and sank into the Gulf of Oman, according to media reports in the country.
The flames aboard the training and logistical vessel called the Kharg began Tuesday morning, and the boat sank Wednesday, according to the Fars News Agency.
“A 20-hour effort to extinguish the fire by the ship’s damage control team, which were joined by firefighting crews as well as military and civilian forces from other nearby vessels, failed to save Kharg,” an Iranian naval spokesman told the news agency.
The vessel reportedly sank off the coast of the southern Iranian port town Jask. All crew members were evacuated, and no casualties were reported. Twenty passengers reported minor injuries.
NAVY WILL FALL BELOW MANDATED 355 SHIPS AS CHINA CHURNS OUT WAR VESSELS
Footage reportedly of #Iran’s Navy largest ship, the Kharg , burning this morning in the Gulf of Oman.
The vessel later sank (AP), in yet another mysterious incident/ disaster befalling Iran’s military:
pic.twitter.com/uaBO0xx2k0— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) June 2, 2021
The fire started around 11 a.m. local time Tuesday in the vessel’s engine room, according to the Fars News Agency.
The cause is still under investigation, a naval spokesman said.
The ship was deployed to international waters for a training operation when one of its systems caught on fire near Jask.
The Kharg, built in Britain and launched in 1977 and entering the Iranian navy in 1984, was used in service for over 40 years and previously took part in numerous training exercises. It was used to lift heavy cargo and serve as a launch point for helicopters, according to USA Today.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The Washington Examiner contacted Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs but did not immediately receive a response.
