DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Greenpeace has warned of a potential environmental disaster following a collision between two oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital energy corridors.

The vessels — the ADALYNN and Front Eagle — collided Tuesday in the Gulf of Oman, sparking a fire before the Emirati national guard intervened to evacuate crew members. Authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported.

NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System detected heat signatures from the area early Tuesday, while satellite imagery reviewed by Greenpeace indicated a plume of oil spreading across roughly 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) from the crash site.

According to Greenpeace, the 23-year-old ADALYNN was part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of older tankers operating below international safety standards. The ship is believed to have been carrying approximately 70,000 tons of crude oil.

“This is just one of many dangerous incidents we’ve seen in recent years,” said Farah Al Hattab of Greenpeace’s Middle East and North Africa division. “Oil spills of this scale put marine ecosystems and coastal communities at serious risk.”

The UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure did not respond to requests for comment. The cause of the collision remains unclear.

British maritime security company Ambrey said the incident was not linked to ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz, where the crash occurred nearby, serves as the gateway to the Persian Gulf and handles nearly 20% of global oil shipments. In 2024, an average of 20 million barrels of crude passed through the strait each day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The narrow waterway has become increasingly risky amid regional conflict. Following Israeli airstrikes on Iran on June 13, oil prices spiked on fears that Tehran might attempt to disrupt shipping through the strait. Maritime security experts say shipowners are increasingly reluctant to use the route, with some boosting security measures and others cancelling voyages entirely.

Over the weekend, intensified Israel-Iran hostilities disrupted navigation in the area, with hundreds of vessels experiencing intermittent signals and relying more heavily on radar.

The Financial Times reported that Frontline, the world’s largest publicly listed tanker company and owner of the Front Eagle, said it would no longer accept new contracts to transit the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz following the collision.