Seoul, South Korea – In an urgent move to uncover the circumstances surrounding the maritime incident involving a South Korean cargo ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, the Seoul government announced on Thursday that it had dispatched a high-level official delegation to Dubai. The delegation has begun a comprehensive on-site investigation into the causes of the explosion and fire that broke out on board the vessel.
Delegation formation and timetable
Government sources reported that the delegation departed Incheon Airport Wednesday evening. The delegation comprises a select group of specialists, including three investigators from the Korean Maritime Safety Court, which is part of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Additionally, the delegation includes four experts from the National Fire Agency.
The team is expected to begin its work as soon as the damaged vessel, the Panamanian-flagged HMM Namu, operated by the Korean company HMM, arrives in Dubai.
As of this morning, the vessel was still at the scene of the accident near the waters off the city of Umm Al Quwain in the United Arab Emirates. At 3:30 a.m. (Korean time), a specialized tugboat arrived to begin the towing operation. The vessel is expected to arrive at the ship repair yard in Dubai late this evening, or possibly as early as tomorrow morning, Friday, May 8.
Background of the incident and political controversy
The fire broke out last Monday while the ship was docked in UAE waters. Fortunately, none of the 24 crew members (6 Koreans and 18 of other nationalities) were injured. Officials from the Korean Shipping Registry and representatives from the operating company are scheduled to join the government delegation to ensure the accuracy of the findings.
Despite US President Donald Trump’s earlier announcement that Iran had “fired shots” at the ship and other targets in the region, the South Korean government maintained professional restraint. It confirmed that investigations were ongoing to determine the true cause of the incident, whether it was due to an external attack or an internal technical malfunction. This was all happening against the backdrop of escalating political speculation.
