Japan-Linked Vessel Damaged in Gulf of Oman

Tokyo, March 6 (Jiji Press)–A Japan-linked vessel anchored in the Gulf of Oman suffered mild damage apparently due to objects that fell on it, Japanese transport minister Yasushi Kaneko said Friday. There were no Japanese nationals on board, and no one on the ship was harmed, Kaneko told a news conference, adding that it is unclear whether the incident is related to the ongoing armed conflict in the Middle East. According to the transport ministry, the vessel suffered the damage around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday Japan time while anchored in the Gulf of Oman, located between the Strait of Hormuz and the Indian Ocean. Fragments were found when the crew conducted a check after hearing a noise. There was a crack in a window of the ship’s bridge, and a dent was found on a power generator exhaust pipe. The damage has not affected the vessel’s operations. The ship is set to leave the gulf. According to the Japanese Shipowners’ Association, four Japan-related vessels are on standby in the Gulf of Oman. The transport ministry did not say whether the damaged ship was one of the four vessels. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]