LNG Carrier Sent Distress Calls After Drone Attack in Gulf of Oman, Recording Shows

According to Lianhe Zaobao citing Xinhua, a recording from a public marine radio channel near the Strait of Hormuz indicates that an LNG carrier repeatedly issued distress calls early Tuesday, July 7, after coming under attack in the Gulf of Oman, reporting an engine-room fire while saying crew members were safe. In the recording provided exclusively to Xinhua by a merchant seaman, the vessel said its port side was hit by a drone, the engine room caught fire and was emitting thick smoke, and damage to the hull could not yet be assessed; it requested assistance from nearby coastal radio stations and naval forces. The seaman said the ship name reported in the distress calls suggested it was an LNG carrier, which carries flammable cargo and faces elevated safety risks after an attack.