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A ship hit by an unknown projectile while leaving the Strait of Hormuz has suffered damage to its engine room, with a crew member reported as a casualty, maritime authorities said on Tuesday.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the incident occurred as the vessel was transiting outbound through the strategic waterway off the coast of Oman.

The vessel’s engine room was damaged in the attack, while the Omani coastguard moved to assist the remaining crew members. No environmental impact has been reported.

The identity of the vessel, the type of projectile used and the group responsible for the attack have not been established.

According to report, investigations are ongoing.

UKMTO advised commercial vessels operating in the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran and a severe disruption to commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Shipping data showed only six commodity vessels crossed the waterway on Monday, compared with a 10-day average of 11. No very large crude carriers or liquefied natural gas tankers were recorded crossing on Monday.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy routes, making the latest attack a fresh concern for global oil supplies and shipping.

The incident involving the ship hit by the unknown projectile also comes after the expiration of a 60-day US-Iran negotiation window without a broader peace agreement, leaving tensions over the strategic waterway unresolved.

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Twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela in June killed 6,438 people, according to the latest official death toll released Monday.

Authorities say that at least 60,000 homes were affected in some way, with 24,000 being left uninhabitable.

Thousands of Venezuelan residents remain in temporary camps, where conditions are precarious.

In Caracas this weekend, heavy rain destroyed some of the tents housing victims.

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez’s government has promised housing for those affected.

To date, 335 homes have been made available out of the 4,000 promised by the end of the year.

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A 17-year-old boy in Massachusetts, United States, allegedly killed his mother and 14-year-old brother after using ChatGPT to search for “theoretical ideas or fantasy stories regarding the killing of his family,” prosecutors said.

Arjun Aravind, 17, of Acton, a Boston suburb, was charged with two counts of murder over the deaths of his mother, Sudha Venkatesan, 45, and his brother, Siddharth Aravind, 14.

He was also charged with assault and battery for allegedly using “a dangerous weapon, a Laptop,” to attack the two victims, according to a criminal complaint filed in Concord.

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Investigators said they found “a heavily damaged bloody laptop computer” at the family’s home, which they believed was used during the attack.

Police also found what appeared to be a knife.

“A bent utensil, possibly a knife with an orange handle, was also found in the area of the disturbance,” the complaint said.

What happened
Acton police officers went to the family’s home on Martha Lane at about 6:37 p.m. Tuesday for a welfare check.

Aravind’s tutor, who had a 4 p.m. appointment at the home, “was unable to make contact with residents upon arrival,” prosecutors said.

Shortly afterwards, Aravind’s father, who had left for work hours earlier, called police.

Officers then “found both victims dead inside,” Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said.

Siddharth was found on the first floor, while his mother was found in the basement.

The complaint said the boy was found “with massive trauma to the head” and “lying in a pool of blood.”

Venkatesan was found with “heavy trauma” to her head and face. She also had “a puncture rod to her stomach consistent with some object being used as a weapon,” according to the complaint.

“As officers cleared the residence, significant biological evidence was observed in and around the bodies,” the probable cause statement said.

ChatGPT searches before the killings

Prosecutors said Aravind had used ChatGPT hours before the killings to write about fictional characters killing their parents.

According to the complaint, he typed: “wait when Adrian kills parents I could see him luring one to convo in basement as they have always forced him to do but what excuse would he use to take their phone”

He also wrote: “maybe before killing mom Adrian coldly reveals,” according to the complaint.

Ryan said Aravind had recently shown what investigators described as concerning behaviour involving the internet and ChatGPT.

“The investigation has so far shown that Arjun had recently been demonstrating some concerning behavior, including using the internet and ChatGPT to make searches for theoretical ideas or fantasy stories regarding the killing of his family,” Ryan told reporters on Wednesday.

A representative for OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Ryan said the searches appeared to involve fictional stories and characters but were linked to threats involving Aravind’s family.

“He was engaged in the use of ChatGPT in creating fantasy stories, kind of the gothic novel kind of stories, asking questions, creating characters, asking what about this if this happened to that, and they seem to appear to relate to threats to his family,” Ryan said.

Family had reportedly hidden knives
According to the complaint, Aravind had been experiencing “behavioral issues” and had been involved in “concerning internet activities.”

The family had reportedly been hiding knives in the house to stop him from getting access to them.

Ryan said it was unclear which victim was killed first.

Siddharth had gone to a recreational facility at about 9 a.m. and returned home shortly after noon on the day of the killings.

“This is an unspeakable tragedy,” Ryan said. “It is an incredibly dark day. Obviously, an insurmountable tragedy for the dad in this case.”

After the killings, Aravind and his mother’s 2014 green Honda Accord were missing from the home.

An alarm was triggered at a parking lot about 13 miles away in Wayland early Wednesday.

Officers “recognized that license plate, and Arjun was inside that car,” Ryan said.

“He was taken into custody by police without incident,” she added.

Aravind was found asleep inside the vehicle. Police also found bedding and “large amounts of cereal and protein energy bars.”

According to the complaint, a person whose name was redacted from the court document had gone to a nearby supermarket at about 4 p.m. Tuesday and bought “an enormous” amount of cereal and energy bars.

“This employee reported this purchased was in excess of $2,000 and when questioned, he reported he had plans to sell the items,” the complaint said.

Previous contact with police

Police had previously dealt with the family after Aravind was reported missing in 2025.

Acton Police Chief Douglas Sturniolo said the incident was treated as a runaway case and involved no threats of violence.

Aravind’s lawyer, Debra DeWit, urged the public not to reach conclusions before the case is heard.

“My client is distraught and confused,” she said. “It’s a tragedy for everyone.”

Aravind pleaded not guilty on Thursday and was ordered to remain in custody without bail.