The British maritime security organization announced on Thursday that a tanker had reported seeing a massive explosion in waters off the Kuwait coast with an oil spill. The incident happened on Wednesday, March 4, at approximately 22:40 UTC (4:10 AM IST on March 5) as reported by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The ship was anchored in the Mubarak Al Kabeer region of Kuwait when the explosion was witnessed on the port side of the ship. After the explosion, the master of the tanker also witnessed a small craft exiting the area which caused suspicion in relation to possible suspicious activity within the already tense maritime environment in the area.
Tanker Struck Off Kuwait Coast, ‘Large Explosion’ Reported By UK Maritime Monitor Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UKMTO verified that the explosion did not lead to the breaking out of fire and that no one was injured or ill on board the tanker. The agency claimed in a statement posted on X that the master of that ship had heard and seen the blast and only after that realized there was oil spilling in the waters surrounding the ship in a cargo tank. The agency sounded an alert that there is oil in the water being discharged by one of the cargo tanks and this might have certain effects on the environment. Officials are in the process of investigating the cause of the explosion, and maritime security officials are keeping a close eye on the matter. UKMTO also made an advisory to the shipping passing through the area and advised them to be very careful and report any suspicious activity to them.
Kuwait’s interior ministry clarified later that it did not happen within the waters of its territory, at least 60 kilometres (37 miles) off Mubarak Al-Kabeer port. The ministry failed to establish the cause of the explosion but emphasized it happened in the international waters. The incident has also increased maritime security fears in the Gulf area, whereby commercial shipping is at risk due to the prevailing geopolitical tensions in the area. The environmental authorities are also evaluating the magnitude of the oil spill and its possible effects on marine life with the investigations ongoing on whether the blast was accidental or connected to hostile activity.
