The Greek-flagged ship Sounion has been on fire since Aug. 23 after an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels , EU Red Sea naval mission Aspides said in a post on X on Monday.
The EU mission published photos dated Sunday showing fire and smoke coming out of the vessel’s main deck. Fires were observed on at least five locations on the main deck of the vessel, Aspides said. Additionally, part of the superstructure is on fire too.
The Greek-flagged tanker which was attacked last week, carries 150,000 tonnes of crude oil which poses an environmental hazard
Houthis, who control Yemen’s most populous regions, said on Thursday that they attacked the Sounion oil tanker in the Red Sea.
Satellite image captured by European Space Agency’s Copernicus Satellite 2 showed smoke visible at sea in the vicinity where Sounion was last detected.
Aspides said on Thursday that the oil tanker carrying 150,000 tons of crude oil poses an environmental hazard. Houthi-struck oil tanker could spill ‘million barrels,’ US warns
Earlier on Saturday the United States warned of a potential environmental disaster in the Red Sea after Houthi militia struck an oil tanker off the Yemeni coast.
The Greek-flagged Sounion was struck on Wednesday off the Houthi rebels-held port city of Hodeidah, with the Iran-backed Houthis claiming to have hit the vessel with drones and missiles.
On Friday, the UKMTO maritime agency said three fires had been spotted on the ship, while a video released by the Houthis on social media allegedly showed three explosions on the ship.
The 274-meter long vessel had departed from Iraq and was destined for a port near Athens, carrying 150,000 tons of crude oil.
“While the crew has been evacuated, the Houthis appear determined to sink the ship and its cargo into the sea,” US State Department Matthew Miller said Saturday in a statement.
The Sounian’s crew of 23 Filipinos and two Russians were rescued by a ship with the European Union’s Aspides mission.
The naval mission also warned the unmanned vessel represented “a navigational and environmental hazard.”
In March, the Belize-flagged, Lebanese-operated Rubymar became the first ship targeted by the Houthis to sink during the conflict.
The Rubymar sank in the Red Sea with 21,000 metric tons of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertilizer on board.
The Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier Tutor also sank in June after being struck by the Houthis.
Multiple sailors have also been killed or wounded in the attacks, which have severely disrupted global shipping.
“Through these attacks, the Houthis have made clear they are willing to destroy the fishing industry and regional ecosystems that Yemenis and other communities in the region rely on for their livelihoods,” Miller said Saturday.
“We call on the Houthis to cease these actions immediately and urge other nations to step forward to help avert this environmental disaster,” he added.