Blue House: "On-site Investigation of HMM Namu Completed... Fire Cause to Be Announced After Review and Evaluation"

The local investigation into the fire incident involving the HMM Namu, which caught fire while anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, has been completed. Based on the findings of the initial on-site investigation, the government plans to provide an explanation regarding the cause of the fire and other details after a review and evaluation among the relevant agencies.

On the 8th (local time), the bulk carrier HMM Namu docked at the repair shipyard "Dry Docks World Dubai" in the port of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to HMM and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Dubai, the government investigation team boarded the HMM Namu to begin a full investigation into the cause of the fire. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

A Blue House official stated on May 10, "The investigation team has completed all necessary on-site investigations," adding, "After completing their activities locally, the team members will return to Korea individually depending on flight availability."

The official also explained that the initial results of the on-site investigation have been received, and that a review and evaluation among the relevant agencies is currently underway. This means that more time is needed before a concrete determination regarding the cause of the accident can be made. The Blue House official added, "We will provide an answer regarding the cause of the HMM Namu fire after the relevant agencies have reviewed and evaluated the results of the on-site investigation."

As a result, the investigation into the cause of the HMM Namu fire is now shifting from the local investigation phase to an analysis and evaluation phase by domestic agencies. To ensure the credibility of the investigation results, the government is expected to make a final decision after consultations among the relevant agencies.

Previously, a government investigation team consisting of three investigators from the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and four fire investigation experts from the National Fire Agency began investigating the cause of the fire on the HMM Namu on May 8. The team reportedly examined materials such as the vessel's voyage data recorder (VDR) and closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, as well as collected testimony from the crew and conducted on-site inspections.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.