Explosion hits Israeli-owned cargo ship in Gulf of Oman

Crew reported safe and vessel heads to nearest port as circumstances of the explosion remain unclear.

An explosion has struck an Israeli-owned ship near the strategic mouth of the Gulf, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and a maritime security firm said on Friday. The crew and vessel were safe, according to the UKMTO, which is run by the British navy. The explosion forced the Bahamas-flagged ship, the MV Helios Ray, to head to the nearest port. The incident occurred at 20:40 GMT on Thursday, the UKMTO said, but gave no details about a possible cause.