Alphabiz - HMM Maintains Cautious Silence After Government Attributes Vessel Fire to External Attack

Photo credit: HMM

[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] HMM is maintaining a restrained stance following a government announcement that a fire aboard its cargo vessel, NAMU, in the Strait of Hormuz on May 4 was caused by an external attack.

An HMM official said on May 10, “We have no plans to release a separate company statement,” adding, “As the government has led the investigation and announced the findings, this is not a matter for us to comment on.” The official emphasized a cautious approach, noting that “it is difficult for us to determine the exact cause,” and reiterated that “there was an explosion severe enough to render the vessel inoperable.”

The NAMU is a newly built vessel, launched in September last year in Guangzhou, China, and delivered to HMM earlier this year. Given its recent construction, industry observers had already suggested that the likelihood of an internal cause for the fire was low.

HMM responded calmly to the government’s conclusion that the fire resulted from an external attack, refraining from further elaboration amid the sensitivity of the issue, which has taken on diplomatic implications. The company has also reportedly limited external contact involving the vessel’s crew and their families.

With the government’s on-site investigation now concluded, HMM plans to proceed with repairs at a shipyard in Dubai. The NAMU was towed into Dubai Port on May 8 and had been undergoing investigation by authorities since its arrival.

Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)