Three Indonesian crew members are missing after a UAE-flagged tugboat sank in the Strait of Hormuz following a reported missile strike.

JAKARTA: Three Indonesian crew members are missing after a United Arab Emirates-flagged tugboat sank in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.

According to a statement from Indonesia’s foreign ministry, the vessel Musaffah 2 experienced an explosion and caught fire before sinking.

The ministry confirmed the tugboat had a crew of seven from Indonesia, India and the Philippines, with four survivors and the three missing Indonesians.

Security firm Vanguard reported the tugboat was struck by two missiles while attempting to assist the Malta-flagged container ship Safeen Prestige, which was itself hit by a missile on Wednesday.

One Indonesian survivor is receiving burn treatment at a hospital in Khasab, Oman, while local authorities continue to search for the three missing crew members.

Another Indonesian national present at the incident location is now safe on a different vessel.

The incident occurs amid numerous attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28.

An investigation into the sinking is ongoing by local authorities.

 The Sun Malaysia