An explosion occurred on a Hong Kong-flagged container ship on Tuesday as it was navigating north through the Red Sea, causing a large fire that forced the crew to abandon ship, according to shipping industry sources.
The vessel, which was about 225 kilometers (140 miles) off the coast of Hodeida—a Yemeni port city controlled by Houthi rebels—was left drifting and engulfed in flames. The Diaplous Group, a maritime firm, reported the incident but did not disclose the name of the ship.
Satellite data from NASA, which tracks wildfires, indicated that the blaze observed on Tuesday and Wednesday near Eritrea’s Dahlak Archipelago matched the location of the ASL Bauhinia, a Hong Kong-flagged container ship. The ship had been en route from Jebel Ali port in Dubai, UAE, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, before it started drifting after the explosion.
The cause of the fire in the Red Sea remains unclear. The area has frequently been targeted by attacks from the Houthi rebels, who recently announced they were scaling back their assaults following a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. However, the Houthis have not yet commented on the incident involving the fire.
The crew of the vessel was safely rescued after abandoning the ship, with no injuries reported, according to another maritime industry official who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to publicly discuss the incident.
The official mentioned that the ship was carrying “dangerous” cargo, though no further details were provided. The ship’s owner, CSSC Hong Kong Shipping Co. Ltd., could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
The Red Sea, home to diverse coral reefs and marine life, has previously been endangered by fires from ships targeted in Houthi attacks, as well as the risk of large-scale oil spills.
Since the Houthi attacks began in November 2023, the number of ships using the Red Sea route has been cut in half. This corridor is a critical passage for energy and cargo shipments between Asia and Europe. Although the Houthis have pledged to reduce their attacks, many shipping companies are still avoiding the route due to ongoing risks.
Before the attacks, approximately $1 trillion worth of trade passed through the Red Sea annually.