Tanker still on fire days after Houthi onslaught

The 2006-built Suezmax tanker, Sounion, has become the third of Greece's Delta Tankers’ ships to have been targeted by Houthis this month.

According to Operation Aspides, also known as EUNAVFOR Aspides, the EU military operation in response to Houthi attacks, the Sounion’s master called for help on 21 August while the tanker was underway in the southern part of the Red Sea.

The Houthis had attacked the Sounion, causing the tanker engine to lose power.

At the time, the tanker was anchored and there were no signs of fire. EUNAVFOR ASPIDES despatched a ship to evacuate Sounion’s crew and, along the way, destroyed a suspected Houthi drone. Sounion’s crew were subsequently rescued and were transported to Djibouti.
However, two days later, the Houthis, which are retaliating against the Gaza War, struck the tanker again, causing fires in at least five spots on the deck.

In an X post, EUNAVFOR ASPIDES said: “It’s estimated that these (the flames) are located around the hatches of the vessel’s oil tanks. Additionally, part of the superstructure is on fire, too. So far there are no obvious signs of an oil spill. The ship remains anchored at the same point in international waters.”

As Sounion is loaded with 150,000 tonnes of crude oil, the fire presents an ecological threat. EUNAVFOR ASPIDES added: “All vessels in the area must exercise extreme caution, as the Sounion is both a navigational and an imminent environmental hazard.”