KUWAIT CITY, March 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A tanker was hit by a "large explosion" in waters off Kuwait, causing an oil spill, British maritime security agency UKMTO said Thursday, as the US-Iran-Israel war paralysed Gulf shipping. "The Master of a tanker at anchor, reports witnessing and hearing a large explosion on the port side then seeing a small craft leave the vicinity" off the Gulf state's Mubarak Al-Kabeer area, UKMTO posted on X. "There is oil in the water coming from a cargo tank which could have some environmental impact". Kuwait's interior ministry said the blast happened "outside Kuwaiti territorial waters", at least 60 kilometres (37 miles) from Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port. Chinese shipping giant Cosco, which operates one of the world's biggest oil tanker fleets, announced it was suspending services to and from Gulf countries from Wednesday, including Kuwait.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha March 05, 2026 02:50 UTC