Burning Greek tanker in Red Sea raises environmental alarms
The Greek tanker Sounion is on fire after being shelled by Houthi fighters. There are 136,000 metric tonnes of oil on board the ship. "A potential spill could lead to disastrous consequences for the region's marine environment," warns Operation Aspides and the Djibouti Ports & Free Zones Authority (DPFZA).
On Wednesday, the tanker sailing in the Red Sea under the Greek flag was attacked by Houthi fighters. Three fires broke out on the drifting ship, according to CNBC, citing a statement from the British maritime security agency United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The event occurred approximately 141 kilometres west of the Yemeni port of Al-Hudaydah. Earlier, the Greek tanker had been repeatedly shelled by Houthi fighters moving in small boats.
Burning tanker threatens the environment
The damaged tanker carrying 136,000 metric tonnes of crude oil poses a threat to the environment - warns the EU's Operation Aspides. This military operation is also known as EUNAVFOR Aspides. It is a response to Houthi clashes with international shipping in the Red Sea.
"A potential spill could lead to disastrous consequences for the region's marine environment," informed the management of Djibouti Ports & Free Zones Authority in a post on the social media platform X. DPFZA is a Djiboutian government body that administers and manages the Port of Djibouti and several other facilities in the African country.
Tanker crew safe
The fires on the shelled tanker broke out after its crew was evacuated. Houthi fighters linked to Iran claim that they attacked the Sounion tanker as part of a 10-month campaign against commercial shipping. It aims to support Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
According to data from the non-governmental organization ITOPF, the largest recorded oil spill from a ship occurred in 1979. This refers to the Atlantic Empress tanker, which collided with another transport ship during a storm off the coast of Tobago. The spill, which resulted in approximately 288,000 metric tonnes of oil into the Caribbean Sea, was the largest recorded oil spill from a ship.
According to CNBC, the Sounion tanker is the third ship belonging to the Athens-based Delta Tankers fleet that has fallen victim to a Houthi attack this month.
The Houthis justify the attack on Sounion by accusing Delta Tankers of violating the ban on "entry to the ports of occupied Palestine." Meanwhile, Delta Tankers assures that it is doing everything possible to move the ship (and its cargo). For safety reasons, it does not comment on the matter.
