A US-owned oil tanker Safesea Vishnu, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, was attacked near Basra in Iraq on Wednesday, claiming the life of an Indian crew member. Another ship, Malta-flagged ‘Zefyros’ owned by a Greek entity, was also attacked.
Safesea Vishnu was chartered by an Iraqi company contracted with the State Organisation for Marketing of Oil (SOMO), Zefyros was loaded with condensate products from Basra Gas Company and was in a ship-to-ship loading area in Iraqi waters. The incident occurred at Iraq’s Umm Qasar anchorage during a fuel cargo transfer with the Safesea Vishnu tanker late on Wednesday, Benetech Shipping SA said.
