Cargo Ship Sinks in Strait of Hormuz, Locals Rush to Collect Floating iPhones

Strait of Hormuz: A viral video circulating on social media shows local residents wading into shallow coastal waters to collect boxes of iPhones that reportedly washed ashore after a cargo ship sank in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Singapore-flagged container vessel GFS Pride reportedly sank earlier this week after allegedly being struck by a projectile or hitting a naval mine, with conflicting accounts emerging about the cause of the incident.

The vessel was carrying more than 2,500 containers, including shipments of iPhones and luxury perfumes from Dubai. All 21 crew members were reportedly evacuated safely, with no injuries reported.

The widely circulated footage shows several men and at least one woman gathering sealed white iPhone boxes from the water and along the beach. Cargo ships can be seen in the background as people search the shoreline for goods washed away from the vessel.

According to reports, local residents and fishermen also used small boats to recover floating cargo in the days following the sinking.

Iranian authorities reportedly attributed the ship's sinking to a naval mine, alleging that the vessel had been travelling along an unauthorised route. Other maritime reports, however, suggested that a projectile struck the ship and triggered a fire before it sank.

The conflicting accounts have left questions about the exact circumstances of the incident, while footage of residents collecting the washed-up cargo continues to circulate widely on social media.