Iran’s Largest Warship Goes Up In Flames and Sinks In The Gulf Of Oman

Photos have circulated on Iranian social media of the largest ship in the Iranian navy catching fire and sinking. The incident occurred Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman “under unclear circumstances” reports the Associated Press. Photos showed Iranian sailors evacuating the flaming vessel wearing life jackets.

According to State TV and semi-official news agencies, the ship is a “training ship.” The ship was named Kharg, after the island that serves as the main oil terminal for Iran. Fars published a video of the ship engulfed in thick black smoke early Wednesday morning. “The ship, built in Britain and launched in 1977, entered the Iranian navy in 1984 after lengthy negotiations that followed Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution” according to the AP.

Satellites from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that track fires from space detected ablaze just before the fire was reported by Fars news agency. “The Kharg serves as one of a few vessels in the Iranian navy capable of providing replenishment at sea for its other ships. It also can lift heavy cargo and serve as a launch point for helicopters” reports the AP.