HMM Namu towing begins after Hormuz explosion

May 07, 2026, 08:58 am

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The HMM Namu bulk carrier. /HMM

Towing operations for the HMM Namu, which suffered an explosion in the Strait of Hormuz, are set to begin Thursday morning as the vessel heads to a repair shipyard at Dubai Port in the United Arab Emirates.

According to shipping industry sources on May 7, the towing vessel arrived at the accident site at around 3:30 a.m. Korea time. The towing operation is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.

Industry officials had initially expected the damaged vessel to arrive at the Dubai repair yard on May 6, but delays in the towing schedule pushed the estimated arrival to May 8.

An HMM official said the company expects the vessel to reach the repair shipyard sometime Friday, adding that schedules have continued to change due to unpredictable on-site conditions and the unprecedented nature of the accident.

The explosion and fire occurred at approximately 8:40 p.m. Korea time on May 4 in the port-side engine room of the vessel while it was anchored north of Sharjah inside the Strait of Hormuz.

The ship is a Panama-flagged bulk carrier operated by HMM

, South Korea’s largest container shipping company.

At the time of the incident, 24 crew members were on board, including six South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals. No casualties were reported.

Currently, five HMM-operated vessels remain inside the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz, including two crude oil and petroleum product carriers, two bulk carriers and one container ship.

#HMM #HMM Namu #Strait of Hormuz #Dubai Port #UAE