IMO logs EL GAIA damage as Hormuz incident count reaches 79

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) updated its Middle East incident list on 14 September to record damage to the Panama-flagged oil tanker EL GAIA (IMO 9325336) in the Strait of Hormuz on 12 September. The IMO entry states that the extent of any pollution was unknown and that two seafarers were missing. Its wider tally stood at 79 confirmed incidents and 22 confirmed seafarer fatalities.

The vessel is recorded by ClassNK as an oil carrier built in 2005, of 28,799 gross tonnes, registered in Panama and managed by Elsey Ship Management LLC. Separately, India’s government broadcaster, reporting a Ministry of External Affairs statement, said 13 Indian crew members had been rescued after an attack and onboard fire off Oman, while search and rescue continued for one missing Indian national. Reuters reported that UK Maritime Trade Operations had issued a warning for an unnamed vessel struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait, followed by a severe fire and crew evacuation.

The precise circumstances remain unresolved. The IMO public entry does not identify a cause of damage. Iranian authorities have said the tanker struck a mine, while the United States has disputed that account and attributed the damage to Iranian weapons. Neither explanation should be treated as independently established on the information currently public. There is also an unresolved discrepancy between the IMO’s listing of two missing seafarers and the Indian official account of one missing Indian crew member. Operators, flag-state authorities, insurers and claims interests should therefore treat crew status, casualty mechanism, pollution exposure and the vessel’s condition as subject to further confirmation.

The incident adds operational weight to the security warnings already in force. The US Maritime Administration’s active advisory, effective 9 September, states that risks of Iranian attacks against commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman remain high, and identifies missile, armed UAV and armed unmanned surface-vessel threats alongside boarding risks.

Why this matters: this is not only a navigational-security issue. A damaged tanker with an initially unknown pollution status creates parallel obligations around crew accounting, casualty communications, salvage and towage readiness, cargo and bunker interests, evidence preservation, and potential general-average or liability exposures. Charterers and operators trading in or near the Strait should revisit voyage-specific security assessments, reporting routes, emergency contact protocols, safe-manning resilience and contractual allocation of delay, diversion and war-risk costs. For cargo and marine insurers, the conflicting public narratives reinforce the need to separate verified casualty facts from attribution when setting reserves and appointing surveyors or correspondents.