“Danger for the environment” –

The Greek-flagged cargo ship Sounion, owned by Delta Tankers, was hit by a rocket in the Red Sea yesterday, the Greek daily Kathimerini reported. The attack reportedly took place in a sea area off the Yemeni city of al-Hudayda at around 6:15 a.m. (Greek time). The explosion hit the ship’s engine area, where a fire later broke out. The 25 crew members of the Greek tanker Sounion were rescued by a French warship. The ship operated under the European Aspides protection mechanism and also destroyed an unmanned surface vessel on the spot, the daily reported.

Soon, however, the alarm was raised. The reason? The tanker hit in the Red Sea was carrying a cargo of 150 thousand tons of crude oil and “is now a danger to navigation and the environment”. This is what is written in a message published on page X by the European mission Eunavfor Aspides. “It is essential that everyone in the area pays attention and refrains from any action that could lead to a deterioration of the current situation”, the message reads. “All on board the Sounion were subsequently rescued and transported to Djibouti, the nearest safe port of call”, it concludes.