The crew of a container ship have abandoned their vessel after military authorities reported it had sustained damage to its rear near Oman, causing a fire onboard, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency says according to Reuters.

The UKMTO earlier said it had received a report of an incident nine nautical miles (16.7km) east of Oman.

In an updated advisory, the agency said it had been informed by military authorities and the vessel’s security officer that the crew had abandoned the vessel and were currently in a lifeboat, adding that authorities were continuing to investigate.