The South Korean government announced on May 4 that the fire incident aboard a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz originated from a strike by an unidentified aerial object. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released the joint government investigation results on May 10, along with photographs taken by the on-site investigation team. A hole measuring 5m in width and 7m in depth was discovered on the lower part of the hull. [Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

It was confirmed on May 10 through a joint government investigation that the cause of the fire that occurred while the HMM Namuho was anchored in the Strait of Hormuz was two strikes from unidentified aerial objects.

Considering the severe damage to the hull, approximately 5-7 meters both internally and externally, the incident could have led to the sinking of the vessel, potentially costing the lives of the 24 crew members onboard, had the attack not ceased after two strikes.

The possibility of the Namuho fire being caused by an external attack had been raised since the incident occurred.

When the fire broke out on the Namuho on May 4, an HMM official, based on the accounts of the crew members onboard, stated, "A fire broke out accompanied by an unknown explosion sound, like a 'thump,' from the port side of the ship's engine room."

This statement was interpreted at the time as leaning towards an external attack as the cause of the accident rather than an internal issue with the vessel.

Jeon Jeong-geun, chairman of the HMM Maritime Union, who heard about the situation from the crew members, also supported this interpretation, saying, "Everyone was surprised and flustered by the loud explosion sound at the time. The explosion was so loud that it was noticed by surrounding ships, and there was a significant impact."

In the joint government investigation results announced on May 10, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the cause of the accident was two external attacks by two unidentified aerial objects.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "Through on-site investigation, CCTV verification, and an interview with the captain, we confirmed that two unidentified aerial objects approached and struck the outer hull of the port side of the HMM Namuho's stern twice, with a one-minute interval."

It added, "The fire in the engine room, which was perceived as an explosion and fire, was ignited by the first strike of the unidentified aerial object, and it appears that the scale of the fire rapidly expanded due to the subsequent second strike."

This aligns with the crew members' accounts of a fire breaking out after an explosion accompanied by a 'thump' sound.

The South Korean government announced on May 10 that it has determined that unidentified aerial objects struck the stern of the HMM Namuho, a cargo ship operated by HMM, twice at one-minute intervals in relation to the explosion and fire that occurred on May 4 in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil transport route in the Middle East. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released the joint government investigation results, along with photographs taken by the on-site investigation team. [Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

As the attack was carried out by external aerial objects, the extent of the damage was greater than anticipated.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The outer plating of the port stern was damaged to a width of 5 meters and to a depth of approximately 7 meters into the hull." It added, "The frames inside the hull were bent inward, and the outer plating of the hull was buckled and twisted outward."

This demonstrates the critical situation, as the vessel could have sunk, claiming the lives of the crew, had the attack not stopped at two strikes or had it hit a more vital part of the ship.

However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that while the aerial object was captured on CCTV footage, it was difficult to identify the launching entity, model, or size.

Furthermore, it explained that there were no abnormalities in the ship's engine, generator, or boilers, and considering that the damaged area was 1-1.5 meters above sea level, it ruled out internal issues or damage from mines or torpedoes.