About 100 Hong Kong-linked ships stranded in Strait of Hormuz

About 100 ships registered in Hong Kong or locally managed or owned are stranded in the Strait of Hormuz along with an estimated 2,300 seafarers, an industry leader has said.

Richard Hext, chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association, told the South China Morning Post on May 8 that it was very risky to sail vessels through the strait due to the risk of attack, even though the United States and Iran had recently reached a temporary ceasefire.

The United States-Israel war against Iran has sparked a global fuel crisis and disrupted supply chains as the narrow waterway handles about 20 per cent of the world’s oil.

“If you have a ship that is stuck inside the Strait of Hormuz, it’s very risky to try and sail it out, because there’s a chance that someone will fire at the ship,” Hext said.

He said the Hong Kong-linked ships stuck in the waterway were either registered in the city or managed or owned by Hong Kong companies.

“So if it’s 100 ships, and you calculate about 23 seafarers on each ship, then that is 2,300 seafarers who are stuck on the Hong Kong ships,” he added.

By Sabina Mammadli