A video recorded by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels shows the moment the Greek oil tanker “Sounion” bursts into flames after an attack on Wednesday 77 miles west of Al Hudaydah, Yemen.
Reports suggest that the tanker was likely hit by an anti-tank weapon, possibly an RPG used by the Houthi militants, which struck the engine room. The vessel immediately sent out a distress signal in the Red Sea.
The Greek-flagged oil tanker was struck on the starboard side and lost power, while three fires were reported yesterday aboard the tanker which was abandoned by its crew. The UKMTO, part of the British Royal Navy, reported last night that it had received “a report indicating three fires” on the vessel, owned by Delta Tankers, which appears to be “adrift” after being struck three times west of the port of Al Hudaydah in western Yemen.
Following the attack, the ship’s engine stopped functioning and was left anchored in the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Yemen. The Ansar Allah movement (“Supporters of God”), known in the West as the Houthis, named after the family leading the group, claimed responsibility for the attack.
At the time of the attack, reports mentioned one fire on the vessel and damage to the engine room. The cause of the three new fires is unclear.
According to Greece’s Ministry of Shipping, the Sounion was transporting 150,000 tons of crude oil to Corinth, loaded at the port of Basra in Iraq.
The EU naval mission, Operation Shield in the Red Sea, announced that it had urgently evacuated the tanker’s crew while warning of the “environmental risk” posed by the incident.
According to MarineTraffic, the “Sounion” is a tanker operated by Delta Tankers and sails under the Greek flag. It has an overall length of 274 meters and a width of 50.06 meters.
