(LEAD) Presidential office discusses response to fire on HMM-operated vessel in Strait of Hormuz

SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- The presidential office convened a meeting Tuesday to discuss its response to a fire that broke out after an explosion aboard a Panama-flagged bulk carrier operated by South Korea's HMM Co. in the Strait of Hormuz, an official said.

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik and other senior officials attended the meeting, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said. No details were immediately available.

The explosion occurred at about 8:40 p.m. Monday (Korean time), while the HMM Namu was anchored in waters off the United Arab Emirates, HMM said. The fire began in the engine room, and crew members used carbon dioxide to fight the blaze for about four hours. No injuries were reported, the company said Tuesday.

HMM said security camera footage showed the fire had been put out and said it would later inspect the engine room to assess the damage.

The freighter had 24 crew members on board -- six South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals. No one was injured, the company said.

The cause of the explosion and fire, as well as the extent of the damage, is currently under investigation.

"It remains unclear whether the incident was caused by an external attack or an internal malfunction," an HMM official said.

HMM said it plans to tow the freighter to Dubai, a process expected to take several days.

Earlier, the South Korean government said authorities are working to determine the cause of the explosion and fire.

In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran has taken shots at a South Korean cargo ship and other targets as he called on Seoul to participate in a mission to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

Industry officials said South Korean-operated ships in waters off the UAE were moving toward Qatar in line with government measures to steer clear of the Strait of Hormuz for safety.

The incident came after the United States launched an operation, called Project Freedom, this week to guide commercial vessels stranded by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran out of the waterway.

HMM operates five vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, including one container ship and two oil tankers.