MANAMA, Bahrain -- The Norman Atlantic became the first tanker sunk in the 7-year-old war between Iran and Iraq today when it slipped beneath the waters of the Strait of Hormuz.
Sinking the tanker was a major achievement for the Iranian naval and Revolutionary Guard forces that have waged war on Persian Gulf shipping in a bid to choke the flow of oil from moderate Arab states exported through the vital waterway.
Set ablaze four days ago by Iranian gunboats, the bow of the crewless 15-year-old, 89,129-ton tanker disappeared at 8:03 a.m. and the Norman began a 250 foot descent to the sea floor, shipping officials said.
The Norman began sinking Wednesday night after a series of blasts roared through a load of volitile naphtha, collapsing a huge section of the port side and opening a gaping starboard crack on the Singapore-registered vessel.
Firefighting tugs that had battled for three days to put out the fire pulled away at full speed when the explosions ripped through the tanker and black smoke poured from the charred superstructure.
'Situation is hectic and worsening,' the master of the firefighting tug Tamara 5 said in an urgent message. 'Had several big explosions. We have been obliged to disconnect the towing line and run away with full speed.'
'There is huge black smoke all around due to the severe heat, explosions and big flames from the fire,' he said. 'All tugs have to run away.'
Position of the stricken vessel was last placed 13 miles east Oman just outside the primary shipping channel through the Strait of Hormuz.
Omani navy officials asked the tugs to muscle the burning ship away from shore, shipping officials said, but it was not immediately determined if traffic in the busy sea lane would be disrupted by the sinking.
The $7.5 million dollar vessel is the first to be sunk in the gulf region since Iran and Iraq, at war for seven years, began preying on shipping in the waterway. The first attack came March 27, 1984, with an Iraqi Exocet missile strike on the Greek tanker Filikon L.
From the time it was struck, shipping officials held out little hope that the Norman could be kept afloat. 'She's going down and there's not a thing in the world that can stop her,' one official said shortly after the attack.
Rocket-propelled grenades struck the Norman at midship and pierced two holding tanks, igniting at least two explosions that ripped through the vessel and sent the 33-man crew racing for lifeboats.
Searing heat from the burning load of naphtha, an oil product used in the manufacture of solvents, forced firefighting tugs to send sea water cascading over the burning hull from more than 600 feet away, making their task virtually impossible.
Industry officials in London said the ship was insured for $7.5 million but that her loss would have no immediate impact on the price of shipping insurance in the gulf because it would be spread across the London market.
In the gulf conflict, Iraqi fighter jets continued strikes on shipping serving oil installations along Iran's northern gulf coast, attacking an oil tanker at 11 p.m. Wednesday, an Iraqi military spokesman said.
