Greek oil tanker attacked by Houthi fighters sparks environmental fears
The Greek tanker Sounion is on fire after being shelled by Houthi fighters. There are 150,000 tons of oil on board the ship. The potential spill could have catastrophic consequences for the region's marine environment, warns Operation Aspides and DPFZA.
12:54 PM EDT, August 24, 2024
On Wednesday, the tanker sailing in the Red Sea under the Greek flag was attacked by Houthi fighters. According to CNBC, three fires broke out on the drifting ship, citing a statement from the British maritime security agency United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The incident occurred approximately 88 miles 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 150,000 tons of crude oil threatens the environment, warns the EU's Operation Aspides. This military operation, also known as EUNAVFOR Aspides, responds to Houthi clashes with international shipping in the Red Sea.
The potential spill could have catastrophic 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 they attacked the Sounion tanker as part of a 10-month campaign against commercial shipping, aiming 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, resulting in a spill of approximately 317,000 tons of oil into the Caribbean Sea.
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.
