A cargo ship caught fire in the Gulf of Oman. The Coast Guard of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) rescued all 22 crew. The UAE National Guard announced the rescue early on Sunday, 8 November 2026. The Coast Guard is part of the National Guard.
The crew reported the fire to the Coast Guard themselves. Rescue teams found the ship, reached it and took all 22 people off. They gave the crew first aid. Then they handed them over to the relevant authorities.
All 22 crew are in stable condition, the National Guard said. They are of Arab nationalities. The UAE state news agency WAM carried the same statement.
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What we don't know yet
The National Guard did not name the ship or give its flag. It did not say exactly where the ship was, what started the fire or how badly the ship is damaged.
On 7 November, US forces said they disabled the cargo ship Huda in the same sea. Read our report on the Huda near Khor Fakkan. No official source has said if the burning ship is the Huda. We will update this story when the ship is named.
What crews can do if fire breaks out at sea
Raise the alarm at once. Tell the bridge the place and size of the fire. Do not try to fight a big fire alone.
Call for help early. Send a distress alert by DSC on VHF radio (Digital Selective Calling, the red distress button) or by satellite. The crew in this case called the Coast Guard themselves, and everyone got off alive.
Go to your muster station when the alarm sounds. Bring your lifejacket and immersion suit if you have one. The officer in charge must be able to count everyone.
Close doors, hatches and fire flaps so the fire gets less air. Stop ventilation fans to the area.
Know where the EEBDs are in your part of the ship. An EEBD (Emergency Escape Breathing Device) gives you a few minutes of air to escape through smoke.
In the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf, also report any attack or suspicious approach to UKMTO (UK Maritime Trade Operations). Its 24-hour emergency line is +44 2392 222060. More numbers are in Crewboard's useful links.
Take part in every fire drill on board. Ask to practise with the hoses, extinguishers and breathing sets yourself.
After a rescue, tell your family and your manning agency where you are as soon as you can.
If you want a ship that does not trade in this region, look through the external vacancies on Crewboard.
Cover photo: A UAE Coast Guard patrol boat, CG 131, at sea in February 2019. Illustrative photo, not a boat from this rescue. Photo: Eduard Marmet/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Sources: UAE National Guard on X: Coast Guard rescues 22 people after a fire on a cargo ship in the Sea of Oman (8 Nov 2026, Arabic), WAM (Emirates News Agency): National Guard announces the stable condition of 22 people rescued from a cargo ship fire in the Sea of Oman (8 Nov 2026, Arabic), Khaleej Times: UAE rescues 22 crew members after cargo ship catches fire in Oman Sea (8 Nov 2026), The National: UAE rescues 22 after fire breaks out on cargo ship in Gulf of Oman (8 Nov 2026), UKMTO: contact details and emergency line.
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