Iran's Fars news outlet has confirmed that several people suffered injuries after a warship capsized at the Port of Bandar Abbas on the country's southern coast on Sunday, July 7. The Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN) frigate IRIS Sahand tilted to port and became partially submerged as repairs were being carried out on its propulsion system.
Some of the survivors were brought to hospital for treatment. However, there has been no confirmation that the injuries they suffered are life-threatening.
Local officials said that the frigate can still be refloated and repaired. No timeline has yet been provided to confirm when the ship will be returned to service.
The capsizing has been attributed to a "technical failure" that caused the frigate to take on water and tilt. The extent of the damage suffered by the ship is still being assessed.
Sahand's capsizing is the latest in a series of mishaps that have befallen IRIN ships over the last five years. In May 2020, a stray missile struck the support ship IRIS Konarak during an exercise, killing 19 of its crew. In June the following year, the replenishment tanker IRIS Kharg suffered an onboard fire that resulted in 33 injuries.