Velos Tankers said an explosion aboard the MT Velos Sapphire killed a seafarer in the Gulf, with the manager suspecting a missile strike as the cause.
The crew member was initially reported missing after the explosion and was later found fatally injured aboard the ship, the company said. Other crew members were unharmed and put out the fire. No pollution was reported.
The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker was traveling to Bahrain without cargo. It was brought into Khalifa Bin Salman Port in Bahrain.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) reported 129 confirmed incidents and 25 confirmed seafarer deaths in its regional tally through Nov. 6. Its listing places damage to the Velos Sapphire about 50 nautical miles north of Madinat ash Shamal, Qatar, and records one death with no pollution.
An investigation is to be launched, while the extent of the tanker’s hull damage is still being assessed.
