Environmental alert as fires spotted on oil tanker abandoned in Red Sea after Houthi attack

Fires have been spotted on the Greek-owned tanker carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil that ‘appears to be drifting’ in the Red Sea following an earlier strike by the Houthis.

Houthi rebels in Yemen pledged disruption on all ships destined for Israel through the Red Sea’s Suez Canal (file photo). Picture: Sayed Hassan/Getty Images

Three fires have been spotted on an abandoned Greek-flagged oil tanker that was struck earlier this week by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, and it now poses an environmental hazard, according to the EU’s Red Sea naval mission, Aspides.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, run by Britain’s Royal Navy, said it “received a report that three fires have been observed” on the Greek-owned tanker Sounion, which was hit by three projectiles on Wednesday.

The vessel “appears to be drifting,” UKMTO said.

The ship, owned by Greek shipping company Delta Tankers, had lost engine power and was anchored in the Red Sea between Eritrea and Yemen following Wednesday’s strike by the Houthis, which caused a brief fire onboard and damaged the engine compartment.

The source of the new fires remains unclear.

The vessel, that departed from Iraq and was destined for a port near Athens, was carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil, according to the European Union’s Red Sea naval mission, Aspides.

“Carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil, the MV SOUNION now represents a navigational and environmental hazard,” Aspides said in a post on social media platform X.

The EU naval force, formed in February to protect merchant vessels in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthi rebels, had rescued its 25 crew members on Thursday, leaving the ship abandoned.

Delta Tankers said “plans are in place to move the vessel to a safer destination where a full assessment (checks and any repairs) can be undertaken”.

It did not specify where the ship would be taken to.

Wednesday’s strikes were the latest in a flurry of Houthi attacks against Israel-linked shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The rebels say their campaign is intended as a show of support for the Palestinians in the war between Hamas and Israel.