GFS Pride sinks in Hormuz; all 21 crew evacuated safely
Singapore confirmed that the containership GFS Pride sank in the Strait of Hormuz and that all 21 crew members were safely evacuated. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the ship struck a mine, but that account remains independently unconfirmed. A second vessel operated by the same company reached a safe anchorage after an attack.
Geopolitics··Evening
Singapore confirms loss and crew evacuation
The Singapore-registered containership GFS Pride sank in the Strait of Hormuz following an attack. Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority confirmed the loss and said all 21 crew members had been safely evacuated. The vessel was operated by a Dubai-based company.[1], [2]
GFS Pride was built in 2008 and had a deadweight capacity of 39,446 tonnes. It could carry the equivalent of 2,824 standard shipping containers. Its last reported position, nearly two weeks earlier, placed it at the Fujairah Anchorage in the United Arab Emirates.[1]
Iran’s mine claim remains unconfirmed
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, part of the country’s military establishment, released images on 14 October and claimed a containership had struck a mine on a route it described as illegal and dangerous. The vessel shown with containers scattered in the water was identified as GFS Pride. The mine account has not been independently confirmed. The Iranian statement supplied no information about the crew or rescue efforts.[1]
Second vessel reaches a safe anchorage
Singapore’s authority also confirmed an attack on GFS Giselle, another Singapore-registered containership operated by the same company. That vessel reached a safe anchorage and all 22 crew members were safe. Singapore condemned the attacks as unprovoked, unjustifiable and contrary to international law.[1]
