2 Commercial Ships Sink Near Strait of Hormuz After Separate Attacks

Two commercial ships, GFS Pride and Cape Dao, have sunk near the Strait of Hormuz, according to an October 14 Reuters update published by Al Monitor . Both sank within the preceding 24 hours, but they were struck weeks apart, not in the same attack.

As of October 15, all 21 crew members from GFS Pride were reported safe. One crew member aboard Cape Dao died during its original attack on September 23, not during the sinking reported this week.

The latest sinkings come amid a series of documented attacks on commercial vessels in and around the strait. Authorities have confirmed ship damage and casualties, but responsibility and the weapons used remain unresolved in many individual cases.

What Happened to 2 Ships

Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority said the Singapore registered container ship GFS Pride was struck by an unknown projectile on October 13 while transiting the strait. The vessel sustained damage, caught fire and subsequently sank.

All 21 crew members were safely evacuated, with no injuries reported, the authority said in its October 14 statement.

Cape Dao, a dry bulk carrier registered in Antigua and Barbuda, was struck by a projectile on September 23 and left burning and adrift near the strait. Reuters’ updated October 14 report, citing International Maritime Organization data, said it had sunk.

The International Maritime Organization recorded one death in that September attack. The crew member was an Indian national. An Omani naval vessel rescued the other 27 crew members.

Another Container Ship Reached Safety

GFS Giselle, another Singapore registered container ship, was struck on October 14, Singapore time, but did not sink. Singapore’s maritime authority said it reached safe anchorage under its own power, with all 22 crew members safe and no injuries reported.

That distinction matters: the two vessels reported sunk were GFS Pride and Cape Dao, not the two Singapore registered ships struck on October 13 and 14.

Singapore condemned the attacks and demanded compliance with international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Its maritime authority said it was monitoring developments and contacting the vessels’ management company.

Wider Attacks and Unresolved Responsibility

The IMO’s recent incident record documents damage to multiple vessels during October. Twelve seafarers aboard On Peace were injured in an October 5 incident, while two Petro Dolphin seafarers were listed as missing following an October 11 incident at Sohar anchorage.

The IMO’s October 14 update recorded 113 confirmed incidents and 24 seafarer deaths across the wider Middle East conflict. Those totals are not limited to the past two weeks or the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has acknowledged some attacks, but those statements do not establish responsibility for every incident. Iranian accounts describing a container ship hitting a mine also do not resolve the cause of GFS Pride’s loss: Singapore’s official account identifies an unknown projectile.

The confirmed record therefore distinguishes the ships’ losses and crew outcomes from the still unresolved questions about weapons and individual attackers.