Large Iranian navy ship sinks after catching fire

Iran’s army confirmed crew safely evacuated after vessel caught fire under unclear circumstances in country’s south.

Tehran, Iran – One of Iran’s largest navy ships has sunk after catching fire near the Strait of Hormuz under unclear circumstances. The Kharg, named after an island nearby that serves as a key oil terminal, caught fire in the early hours of Wednesday local time and more than 20 hours of rescue operations failed to save it, the army said. An image taken late at night showed crew in life jackets running away with a fire raging behind them. Another image, taken in daytime, showed heavy smoke billowing to the sky and fire still burning.