Fire on board an oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz: one person has lost their life, and two are reported missing.

The oil tanker Settebello caught fire on Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the British maritime security agency UKMTO.

The incident occurred 20 nautical miles northeast of the city of Sohar, where the ship signaled a fire and requested assistance for the evacuation of the crew. Local authorities confirmed one dead and two crew members missing.

The British maritime security company Vanguard added that the tanker, flying the flag of the Palau Islands, was hit by a missile, causing the fire, but no other independent verifications have been obtained.