Rania R.a. Abushamala
12 October 2026•Update: 13 October 2026
Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said late Monday that an injured crew member had been medically evacuated from the merchant vessel JOHN K after a fire broke out in its engine room.
An Omani Royal Air Force helicopter carried out the evacuation in coordination with the center about 44 nautical miles off South Al Batinah governorate, it said on the US social media platform X.
The center did not specify the cause of the fire or the severity of the crew member’s injuries.
Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center said it had received a “time-late” report from a verified source that a container vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting inbound through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a second notice issued within an hour, UKMTO said a verified source had reported that a crude oil tanker was struck by an unknown projectile during an outbound transit through the strait.
The UKMTO warning listed the incident date as Sunday, Oct. 11, with the time yet to be confirmed.
Authorities are investigating, it said, advising vessels to transit with caution and report suspicious activity.
Neither UKMTO warning identified the vessels or provided details about casualties or damage.
The notices did not establish whether either incident was related to the fire aboard the JOHN K.
