The crew of a ship that suffered several attacks in the Red Sea has been evacuated with naval support.
Delta Tankers, which operates the Sounion, said Thursday that plans are now in place to move the vessel to a safer destination where checks and repairs can be done. The ship came under attack on Wednesday and was then adrift after its engine lost power.
Vessels have been regularly attacked in the Red Sea since Yemen’s Houthi militants began targeting merchant ships late last year in protest at Israel’s activities in Gaza. Wednesday’s incident was one of the most serious since the Houthis sank a vessel with a sea drone for the first time in June.
The ship is carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil, the European Union’s naval force in the region said in a post on X. The vessel now represents a navigational and environmental hazard, it added.
On August 21, the MV SOUNION, which had not asked for EUNAFVOR ASPIDES 🇪🇺 protection, came under an attack in the South Red Sea area and lost its engine power.
Following a request from the master, the operation dispatched a ship in order to rescue the crew.
While approaching… pic.twitter.com/gdSbTjmzRm
— EUNAVFOR ASPIDES (@EUNAVFORASPIDES) August 22, 2024
Sounion loaded its cargo in Iraq earlier this month, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.
The ship is no longer drifting and is now at anchor in the Red Sea, the Associated Press reported, citing the European Union’s military operation in the region. It said a French destroyer had rescued 29 mariners from the tanker.
Photograph: An oil tanker sailing at sunset. Photo credit: Marcelo del Pozo/Bloomberg
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Ford Recalls About 85,000 Explorer SUVs Over Engine Fire Risk 
Judge Allows Transgender Girl to Play Soccer as Lawsuit Challenges New Law 
CIAB: Clear Evidence of Softening Commercial P/C Market Conditions in Q2 
First Street Finds Most Debby-Damaged Homes Outside Flood Zone, Without Coverage 
