DUBAI/OSLO, May 26 (Reuters) – The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported on Tuesday that the Greek-owned Very Large Crude Carrier “Olympic Life” experienced an external explosion on its port side near the waterline approximately 60 nautical miles from Oman’s capital, Muscat.
According to UKMTO, the vessel and its entire crew remain safe following the incident. The tanker reported a discharge of bunker fuel into the surrounding waters, though the cause of the explosion remains undetermined.
MarineTraffic vessel-tracking data indicates the Olympic Life was passing Muscat at approximately 0700 GMT when traveling outbound from the Gulf of Oman. The ship was not transporting cargo at the time of the incident.
The vessel’s technical manager, Springfield Shipping, confirmed that an unidentified object struck the tanker around 0920 GMT. Despite the impact, the vessel maintained stability and remained fully operational.
“Initial assessments revealed damage to one of the vessel’s bunker tanks,” Springfield Shipping stated in a comment provided to Reuters. “A sheen was observed in the water following the incident, but the spillage has since been contained.”
Records indicate the vessel is owned by Athens-based Olympic Shipping & Management, which succeeded the shipping enterprise founded by late industry magnate Aristotle Onassis.
Representatives from the company have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the incident.
The reporting of this incident was contributed by Ahmed Elimam and Jana Choukeir, with additional reporting from Nerijus Adomaitis in Oslo.