SEOUL, May 4. /TASS/. The Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Korea (ROK) has reported that an explosion and fire occurred on a vessel flying the ROK flag in the Strait of Hormuz, the Yonhap agency reported.

According to the foreign ministry, the incident occurred around 2:40 p.m. Moscow time [11:40 a.m. GMT] on a vessel anchored in the Strait of Hormuz in the waters near the UAE. The vessel in question is the bulk carrier Namu, flying the Panamanian flag, operated by the South Korean company HMM.

There were 24 crew members on board, including six citizens of the Republic of Korea. No casualties among the crew have been reported. The cause of the explosion and fire, as well as the extent of the damage, are under investigation.

Earlier, the country’s authorities were verifying information about an alleged strike on a Republic of Korea vessel in the strait.