Salvors Make Progress in Fighting Fires Aboard Burning Tanker in Red Sea
Fire on Tanker Sounion Partially Extinguished After Intense Week of Fighting
After a week of hard work by Greek salvors, the fire on the tanker Sounion is finally under control, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC). The fire started on August 21 after the vessel was attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group. Although the fire is not completely out yet, the team has made great progress, and some areas are no longer burning. This update was shared on September 29.
The Sounion is currently anchored about 40 miles off the northern coast of Eritrea. Firefighting vessels are there to help, supplying water and inert gas to put out the remaining fires. Infrared satellite images from October 2 show that temperatures on the ship are still high, so the danger isn’t over yet.
The fire started weeks ago after the Houthis attacked the ship three times, disabling its engine and leaving it adrift. The crew had to leave the vessel for safety. Later, the rebels came back and placed explosives on the ship’s deck, causing multiple small fires.
To prevent a massive oil spill, the Sounion was towed to its current location, and now the salvage team is working to put out the fires and keep the oil safe. The plan is to move the oil to another tanker once the fires are out.
The Houthi leaders have promised not to interfere with the salvage operation because an oil spill would cause severe environmental damage. Experts warn that if the oil spills, it would be bigger than the Exxon Valdez disaster, polluting the Red Sea and affecting Yemen’s coastline, where many rely on fishing for food.
The European Union’s Operation Aspides is providing protection for the salvage team. Their warships helped tow the tanker to safety and are continuing to guard the operation. However, attacks on other ships in the Red Sea are still happening. On Tuesday, the Houthis hit another tanker with a drone boat and a bulker with a missile, damaging both ships.
Dr. Stavros Karamperidis, a maritime expert from the University of Plymouth, says that stopping these attacks is difficult. He explains that the Houthis don’t need to increase their attacks too much to have a big impact. Unlike other rebel groups, the Houthis don’t face immediate threats to their bases, which makes it harder for Western countries to stop them.
