The Norwegian shipping firm Frontline confirmed on Thursday that its oil tanker Front Altair was on fire after an incident in the Gulf of Oman, Norwegian newspaper VG reported, quoting a company spokesman.
All 23 crew members were brought to safety at a nearby vessel, the spokesman added.
Two tankers have been evacuated after an incident in the Gulf of Oman and the crew are safe, four shipping and trade sources said on Thursday.
The sources identified the tankers as the Marshal Islands-flagged Front Altair and the Panama-flagged Kokuka Courageous.
U.S. Naval forces are assisting tankers in the Gulf of Oman after receiving two distress calls on Thursday, the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet told Reuters.
"We are aware of the reported attack on tankers in the Gulf of Oman. U.S. Naval Forces in the region received two separate distress calls at 6:12a.m. local time and a second one at 7:00 a.m.," Joshua Frey of the Fifth Fleet said.
Iranian search and rescue teams have picked up 44 sailors from two damaged oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on Thursday, citing an unnamed informed source.
The sailors were taken to the Iranian port of Jask, IRNA reported.
