Oil tankers collide in Gulf of Oman, UAE evacuates crew

The United Arab Emirates Coast Guard said on Tuesday it had evacuated 24 people from the oil tanker ADALYNN following a collision involving several vessels in the Gulf of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz.

UK-based maritime security firm Ambrey reported that the incident occurred 22 nautical miles east of the port of Khor Fakkan and said there were no signs of hostile activity.

A shipping industry source told Reuters that one vessel collided with two others.

Naval sources earlier told Reuters that there has been a rise in electronic interference affecting navigation systems of commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf in recent days.

Separately, Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported that three vessels caught fire off Iran’s coast in the Gulf of Oman, near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz — a key route for oil and gas exports from the Gulf. The cause of the fire was not specified. There were no reports of Israeli strikes.