Cargo ship sinks in Strait of Hormuz, spilling iPhones and perfume

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 17 Oct, 13:32 · Archive

A Singapore-flagged container ship sank in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, with hundreds of Iranian fishermen collecting iPhones and perfume from the water.

The Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride sank in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, carrying more than 2,500 containers of iPhones, perfume and other cargo. All 21 crew members were safely evacuated without injury. Footage captured dozens of small boats weaving between containers as Iranian fishermen collected goods floating in the water, with one video showing a man saying they had heard the ship sank and were heading to collect iPhones and perfume.

The accounts of what caused the sinking differ. Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority reported that the vessel caught fire and sank after being struck by an unidentified projectile. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed instead that the ship had ventured onto an unauthorised and dangerous route and detonated a naval mine, which sparked the fire that ultimately sank it.

The GFS Pride is the third ship lost since the conflict in the Middle East began in late February, and the second to sink within 24 hours. The sinkings come as Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global shipping since the war broke out.

How it is being reported

• Iranians go fishing for iPhones and French perfume floating in the Strait of Hormuz after container ship is blown up by mine and sinksFootage shows hundreds of men scrambling for loot after thousands of containers were left floating in the vital waterway.Daily Mail · 17 Oct, 14:08
• Iranian fishermen swarm Strait of Hormuz in scramble for iPhones and luxury perfume after cargo ship sinksHundreds of Iranian fishermen took to the warm waters of the Strait of Hormuz this week, abandoning their usual catch in favour of consumer goods spilling from the wreck of a sunken container ship. Skiffs and salvage vessels spread across the strait as word travelled that smartphones, French fragrances and other valuable cargo were floating free. "We are gathering and heading towards the Strait of Hormuz," one man declared in a video circulating online. "We heard a container ship sank, so we're going to collect iPhones and perfume." Video footage captured dozens of small boats weaving…GB News · 17 Oct, 13:16
• Mine sinks cargo ship in Strait of Hormuz leaving hundreds of new iPhones floatingFootage shows packets of perfume bottles and iPhone boxes floating around the sunk cargo ship while people in small boats rush to collect the products it carriedThe Mirror · 17 Oct, 02:05

In this story: GFS Pride · Strait of Hormuz · Singapore · Iran · Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem