St. Kitts and Nevis-flagged cargo ship sinks in Strait of Hormuz, all 23 crew rescued

St. Kitts and Nevis: A St. Kitts and Nevis flagged bulk carrier named LUNI split apart and partially sank in an anchorage in the northern portion of the strait just off the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas when it suffered the water ingress on Tuesday, July 14 after sustaining catastrophic hull damage.

As per the reports, twenty-three seafarers were rescued from the cargo vessel as it gradually sank in the Strait of Hormuz. The ship’s crew included 23 foreign nationals, who were immediately evacuated from the ship, which reportedly split in half and became partially submerged. No injuries or fatalities have been reported among the crew members.

The vessel is identified as the Saint Kitts-registered bulk carrier LUNI (IMO 9070711), an ageing bulk carrier built in 1994, which was initially en route to Jebel Ali, UAE.

The reports state that Luni had collided with another vessel several days before the sinking incident. The local officials stated that the damage suffered by the earlier incident could be a reason that ultimately caused her to take on water and break apart.

Following the structural failure, the vessel settled in shallow water, with both the bow and stern sections remaining partially above the surface.

Furthermore, the reports noted that the incident occurred around the same time that explosions were heard around Bandar Abbas and neighbouring Qeshm Island. Although, it has not yet been confirmed that they were linked to the sinking or not and authorities have not established any connection between the reported explosions and the vessel's structural failure.

BREAKING: Footage of the bulk carrier Luni sinking in the Strait of Hormuz today after a hull fracture that led to it splitting in two near Bandar Abbas.

This comes as Trump claims to be "Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz." pic.twitter.com/2sNo8ypX4u

— The Hormuz Letter (@HormuzLetter) July 14, 2026

Several videos capturing the whole incident are surfacing over the social media, triggering serious concerns and questions among the people as a user commented, "splitting in two" from what? That's sort of important to know.”