Red Sea Attack: Greek-Flagged Oil Tanker Poses Environmental Hazard

A Greek-flagged oil tanker carrying 150,000 tons of crude oil is posing an “environmental hazard” after it came under attack from projectiles and arms fire in the Red Sea.

The 25-person crew of the Sounion oil tanker was rescued after the attack by a vessel from Eunavfor Aspides, a European Union defensive maritime security operation aimed at protecting merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf.

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The vessel, damaged and without engine power, is now anchored between Yemen and Eritrea, a maritime security source said.

Delta Tankers said it is working on a plan to move the tanker to a safer destination for further checks and repairs.

Eunavfor Aspides said all those on board the boat were transported to Djibouti, in east Africa, which was the nearest safe port of call.

Attacks on container vessels in the Red Sea have been wreaking havoc on one of the world’s most important trade routes for months.

Iran-backed Houthi militants stepped up their attacks on ships in late November last year, in retaliation for Israel’s war against Hamas.

The damage to the vessel poses a “navigational risk and a serious and imminent threat of regional pollution,” according to Eunavfor Aspides, a European Union defensive maritime security operation aimed at protecting merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf.

“There’s no oil spill, and the ship is still anchored and not drifting,” Eunavfor Aspides said in a post on X on Wednesday, adding that fires have been detected in several locations on the main deck.

The fires currently burning on the deck of the Sounion are unlikely to spread, according to another captain involved in maritime oil shipping who likened the situation to a gas stove: The fires on the ship are like the burners on the stove and are being fed by vapors in its cargo tanks. Because the gas inside the tanks is inert, and lacks oxygen, the fire isn’t likely to spread further, according to the source.

The easiest way to stop the fires on the deck is with a combination of foam and smothering, the captain said, adding that once the fires are put out, it becomes a routine oil salvage recovery.

The damage to the vessel poses a “navigational risk and a serious and imminent threat of regional pollution,” according to Eunavfor Aspides, a European Union defensive maritime security operation aimed at protecting merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf.

“There’s no oil spill, and the ship is still anchored and not drifting,” Eunavfor Aspides said in a post on X on Wednesday, adding that fires have been detected in several locations on the main deck.

The fires currently burning on the deck of the Sounion are unlikely to spread, according to another captain involved in maritime oil shipping who likened the situation to a gas stove: The fires on the ship are like the burners on the stove and are being fed by vapors in its cargo tanks. Because the gas inside the tanks is inert, and lacks oxygen, the fire isn’t likely to spread further, according to the source.

The easiest way to stop the fires on the deck is with a combination of foam and smothering, the captain said, adding that once the fires are put out, it becomes a routine oil salvage recovery.