UAE evacuates 24 people from oil tanker after collision in Gulf of Oman

In a sea rescue on June 17, the UAE’s Coast Guard successfully evacuated 24 crew members aboard an Antigua Barbuda-flagged oil tanker, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The United Arab Emirates coast guard of the National Guard said on Tuesday it had evacuated 24 people from the oil tanker Adalynn following a collision between two ships in the Gulf of Oman.

The ship’s crew was evacuated from the incident site, located 24 nautical miles off the country’s coast.

The collision between the two vessels in the sea of Oman, prompted a swift action by the coast guard to secure the safety of those on board.

The emergency response, coordinated by the National Guard, involved deploying search and rescue boats that transported the ship’s crew to the port of Khor Fakkan.

“The ship’s crew was evacuated from the incident site, located 24 nautical miles off the country’s coast, to the Port of Khor Fakkan using search and rescue boats,” the UAE National Guard Command said in a post on X.

At the time of writing this incident, there are no reports by the officials – so far – for any casualties or injuries. No information has been given from the authorities regarding the cause of the incident.

The incident is under development and more information will be provided when it comes available. Frontline has confirmed that its crude oil tanker Front Eagle, managed by Anglo Eastern, which was involved in a collision with the vessel Adalynn off Fujairah on Tuesday morning, caught fire on deck. Frontline has said all its seafarers onboard the Front Eagle are safe after the collision, with no injuries reported.

“This is a navigational incident and not related to the current regional conflict,” Frontline said yesterday in its statement.

The maritime incident occurred amid heightened tensions in the region, particularly between Israel and Iran, fuelling concerns in the shipping market of a broader regional conflict and potential disruption to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. This sea passage, situated between Oman and Iran, serves as a vital conduit connecting crude oil exporters in the Middle East to global markets.

Fears have resurfaced that the Iran could target one of the world’s most vital oil arteries, the Strait of Hormuz.

However, market watchers believe that a complete closure of this sea passage is unlikely, given the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz to global oil supply.

While Iran has previously threatened to close the strait in response to geopolitical tensions, it has yet to act on such threats.

The prospect of a broader regional conflict following Israel’s airstrikes on Iran has renewed concerns over possible supply disruptions and rising oil prices.