GFS Pride sinks near Strait of Hormuz; all 21 crew evacuated

Singapore’s maritime authority says the GFS Pride has sunk after reportedly being struck by an unknown projectile while crossing the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel was damaged and caught fire, but all 21 crew members were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported. [1]

Navigational warnings issued by Pakistan’s hydrographic office charted the danger to other ships. At 03:00 UTC on 14 October, the GFS Pride was reported on fire and drifting. A second warning, issued at 10:45 UTC, reported it sunk, with containers floating about four nautical miles north-west of Ras Shaykh Masud. Neither warning established precisely when the ship went down. [3] [2]

A second Singapore-registered container ship, the GFS Giselle, sustained hull damage in a separate incident and reached a safe anchorage under its own power. All 22 people aboard were safe, according to Singapore’s maritime authority. [1]

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy has said a container ship sank after striking a mine while travelling on what it called an illegal and dangerous route. Its account did not name the ship, and it remains unclear whether it was referring to the GFS Pride. The object that struck the Pride, and who was responsible, have not been established. [7] [1]

The International Maritime Organization’s updated incident list records 113 confirmed incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Middle East as of 14 October. It lists the GFS Pride as sunk, along with the Cape Dao and the Safeen Prestige. That supersedes an earlier report describing the Pride as only the second ship sunk since the war began. [8] [5]