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Asia’s stranded seafarers suffer as the Iran war drags on
In a more dangerous world, unsung mariners are under increasing threat.
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Thailand-flagged cargo ship Mayuree Naree engulfed in black smoke after being hit in the Strait of Hormuz in March.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The Economist
“We are like war prisoners,” says Captain Khan, who is waiting in the Persian Gulf as missiles “go all around” him. One hit a nearby fuel tanker, which caught fire and exploded. On another occasion, debris sank a vessel a few metres in front of him. Mr Khan’s crew have tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz three times; the Iranians have turned them back on each occasion.
“We are afraid,” says the captain, who does not want to disclose his full name nor identify his vessel. “We have to go home.” Very few have.
