Watch: Missile Hit Cargo Ship Loaded With Fertilizers Sinking In Red Sea

A British container vessel that was struck by Houthi missiles has started sinking slowly in the waters of the Red Sea. Footages received from the Houthis-run media reflect the Rubymar, a Lebanese-operated and British-registered cargo vessel, listing as well as disappearing into the water.

Laden with nearly 41,000 tons of fertilizer, which is now feared to be a significant ecological risk, the vessel was attacked as it sailed via the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

Video Credits: WSJ News/YouTube

The missile attack compelled 24 members of the crew to abandon their vessel, which was en route to Bulgaria after it departed Khorfakkan in the UAE. Satellite photos indicated the stricken vessel to be leaking oil in the waters of the Red Sea.

The Houthis have directed at least 57 strikes on commercial as well as military vessels in the waters of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since 19 November, and the pace has heightened in recent days.

In the case of normal operations, almost 400 commercial vessels sail in the southern Red Sea at any given time. While the Houthi attacks have only struck a small number of vessels, the persistent targeting coupled with near misses that have constantly been shot down by the US and allies has provoked shipping majors to reroute the vessels from the Red Sea. Instead, they‘ve sent them through Africa via the Cape of Good Hope — a costlier, longer, and less efficient passage.

Reference: ITV

Watch: Missile Hit Cargo Ship Loaded With Fertilizers Sinking In Red Sea appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

Source: Maritime Shipping News