EMEA News
Crew Flees Ship as Fire Breaks Out in Red Sea
A container ship crew was forced to abandon their vessel following an explosion that sparked a fire onboard.
The incident involved the Hong Kong-flagged 1,800 TEU capacity container feeder vessel ASL Bauhinia in the Red Sea, Lars Jensen, CEO of container consultancy Vespucci Maritime wrote in a LinkedIn post.
"Initial indications are that this is an accident involving hazardous cargo," Jensen noted.
The vessel was en route from the UAE's Jebel Ali port to Saudi Arabia's Jeddah port when the fire broke out in the Red Sea, off the coast of Yemen, according to AIS data from MarineTraffic.
The area has seen frequent attacks by the Yemeni rebel group, the Houthis, who have recently indicated that they will limit their attacks to Israeli-flagged or Israeli-operated vessels in the Red Sea.
While initial reports suggest the explosion was likely caused by an onboard hazardous cargo rather than an external attack, the timing and location have sparked speculation.
Meanwhile, major container lines such as AP Moller-Maersk and CMA CGM continue to avoid the Red Sea and Suez Canal transits, opting for the longer route around Africa amid ongoing uncertainties and safety concerns in the region.
