Cargo Ship at Risk of Sinking After Houthi Attack: Report

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday February 19, 2024

A general cargo vessel attacked by Yemen's Houthi movement on Sunday is reportedly at risk of sinking.

The 32,200 DWT Belize-flagged general cargo vessel Rubymar was attacked on Sunday evening at the entrance to the Red Sea, news agency AP reported on Monday. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said the vessel had been abandoned by its crew.

A representative of the Houthi movement said in Monday that the vessel was 'now at risk of potentially sinking', according to the report.

The ship is operated by a Lebanese firm, and had been on a voyage from the UAE to Bulgaria.

Commercial ships operating near Yemen have been coming under attack from the country's Houthi movement over the past three months in a response to the conflict in Gaza.

Several leading shipping companies are now avoiding the region altogether, taking longer routes around Africa rather than using the Suez Canal. This is likely to deliver a significant boost to bunker demand and freight markets while the current situation continues.