Fire Reported on Landing Craft Near Qeshm Island, Iran

A fire erupted on Saturday aboard a landing craft transporting several cars near the "Aftab 2" pier off Qeshm Island in southern Iran.

The blaze produced thick columns of smoke that were clearly visible from various locations across the island, according to the Iranian Mehr news agency.

Mehr reported that the dense smoke clouds from the fire were observable from the vicinity of the Aftab 2 park. However, no official information has yet been released regarding the cause of the fire or the extent of damage and losses. There have also been no reports of injuries or casualties.

Contradicting these reports, Ali Eshtari, head of the Ports and Maritime Navigation Department in Qeshm County, denied the social media claims about a fire and heavy smoke from a landing craft carrying cars in Qeshm waters, describing them as unfounded.

Eshtari explained that the smoke seen was due to emissions from a ship's engine, not a fire on a vehicle transport vessel, and confirmed that verification efforts found no such incident had occurred.

He further affirmed that maritime traffic on the sea routes leading to Qeshm Island continues normally without any disruptions.