24 Crew Rescued After Oil Tankers Collide, Catch Fire Off UAE Coast

Twenty-four crew members were rescued on Tuesday after two oil tankers collided off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, sparking at least one fire, according to the UAE coastguard and shipping officials.

The collision occurred about 15 nautical miles off the Gulf of Oman coastline, near the strategically significant Strait of Hormuz—a vital shipping lane for about 20% of the world’s oil supply.

Frontline, a Norwegian shipping company, confirmed that its vessel Front Eagle was involved in the incident and reported that a fire onboard had been successfully extinguished. The company also noted reports of a fire aboard the second vessel, Adalynn.

“There have been no reports of pollution at this time,” Frontline said in a statement, adding that all crew were safe.

The UAE National Guard stated on X (formerly Twitter) that its coastguard conducted an evacuation operation for the 24 crew members aboard the Adalynn following the collision.

British maritime security firm Ambrey said the incident was “not security-related,” despite occurring amid heightened regional tensions due to the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.

Authorities have not disclosed the cause of the collision, and investigations are ongoing.