Iran's largest warship sank in the Gulf of Oman after it caught fire on Wednesday. It is unclear how the largest ship of the Iranian navy met with its disastrous fate. The warship "Kharg 431," named after an island, caught fire in the early hours of Wednesday.
Though rescue operations went on for over 20 hours, the rescue team couldn't save the warship. However, the entire crew aboard was able to disembark from the vessel safely.
According to reports, the ship caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf. According to Reuters, "Fars" quoted a navy statement that said The Kharg was on a training mission.
When did Iran's "Kharg 431" Catch Fire?
The ship was on fire at around 2:25 AM. Firefighters immediately rushed to the spot and tried to contain it. However, the blaze was uncontrollable ultimately, leading to the tragic fate of the vessel. The warship sank around 790 miles southeast of Tehran near the Iranian port of Jask in the Gulf of Oman.
How "Kharg 431" Contributed to the Iranian Navy?
The Kharg in the Iranian navy served as one of the few vessels capable of providing replenishment at sea for its other ships. It served as the launch point for helicopters and could lift heavy cargo.
The Iranian warship was built in Britain and launched in 1977. It entered started functioning in Iran in 1984 after lengthy negotiations ahead of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Almost 400 People Were Onboard Iran's Warship When It Caught Fire
Iran's army identified the Kharg as a "training ship." Reports confirm there were almost 400 crew and navy trainees aboard when the ship caught fire. All of them were safely evacuated.
Photos of thick smoke on the vessel and sailors wearing life jackets evacuating the warship as a fire burning behind them had been circulating on Iranian social media, according to reports.
The sinking of the warship "Kharg 431" is not the only naval disaster for Iran. In 2018, an Iranian navy destroyer sank in the Caspian Sea while in 2020, a missile accidentally struck a naval vessel near the port of Jask during an Iranian military training exercise. As many as 19 sailors were killed and 15 were severely injured.
Read more
