Iran's largest naval warship sinks in Gulf of Oman.
Iran's largest naval warship sinks
Iranian navy’s largest warship, The Kharg sank on Wednesday after catching fire in the Gulf of Oman. The incident took place at around 2:2 5 AM. However, the entire crew was able to evacuate from the Iranian warship safely. Firefighters struggled to contain the fire on the vessel, which later sank near the Iranian port of Jask. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Various photos have been doing the rounds on the Iranian social media of sailors wearing life jackets and evacuating the vessel. The video posted by Fars news agency shows thick, black smoke rising from the ship early on Wednesday morning.
The team of firefighters failed to save the warship “The Kharg,” named after the island that serves the purpose as the main oil terminal for Iran. It is also referred to as a training ship by Iranian agencies.
Satellite photos analyzed by a leading news agency showed that the Kharg left for the west of Jask on Tuesday, June 1. The blaze was detected from space at the site of the Jask just before Fars reported there was a fire. Satellites tracked the fire from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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Earlier in April, Iran said one of its vessels, the Saviz, was targeted in the Red Sea. This incident took place after the media reported the ship was under attack with limpet mines. Reportedly, Israel and Iran had been continuously involved in a blame game since late February for a series of attacks on cargo ships.
“The Kharg” was launched in 1977. The Britain-built warship entered the Iranian navy in 1984 after a series of negotiations. It is one of the vessels that are capable of providing replenishment at sea for other ships. It is also popular to lift heavy cargo and serves as a launch point for helicopters.
