At the beginning of the month, following a missile strike on the “CMA CGM San Antonio” container vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, eight crew members were injured and the ship sustained significant damage.
The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers has announced that two of the injured seafarers have now returned to the country and been reunited with their families. According to the agency, the incident on May 6 occurred amid escalating tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran, and is considered one of the most serious attacks on commercial shipping in terms of crew injuries.
Following the incident, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reportedly suspended its vessel protection commitment under the “Project Freedom” security program, which was later postponed indefinitely.
The shipping company CMA CGM stated that the vessel had complied with all required safety regulations. With coordination from Omani authorities, the repatriated seafarers were received at the airport and provided with medical, financial, and psychological support.
Efforts are ongoing to repatriate the remaining five injured Filipino seafarers in the coming days.
