The missing crew member from the Hercules Star, which came under attack while at anchor off the UAE on September 9, has been found dead, according to Peninsula Petroleum.
The discovery brings the confirmed death toll from the incident to two. Another seafarer was previously confirmed killed after the tanker was struck by an unknown projectile during the attack.
“Following the report of a loss of life during the incident involving the Hercules Star in the early hours of 9th September whilst at anchor off Dubai, we regret to announce that the missing crew member has been found deceased,” Peninsula Petroleum said in a statement.
“Their family have been informed, and we continue to offer our full support and our deepest condolences.”
The company also confirmed that all surviving crew members from the Hercules Star have now been repatriated.
The September 9 incident was not the first time the tanker had been targeted during the ongoing US–Iran war. The vessel was also attacked on March 1, the second day of the conflict, when it was hit and a fire broke out onboard.
No crew members were injured in that earlier attack, which occurred 17 nautical miles northwest of Mina Saqr, UAE.
Meanwhile, another maritime security incident has been reported in the Strait of Hormuz.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an incident 16 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. Maritime security firm Vanguard identified the vessel involved as the Togo-flagged tanker Trend, which was anchored 2.6 nautical miles northeast of Ras Makhbuq.
The IRGC navy claimed that the vessel had caught fire.
UKMTO, however, reported that there were no injuries among the crew and no environmental impact resulting from the incident.
