News

A team of the International Red Cross has visited the 25 crew members still on board of the 'Galaxy Leader' in the port city of Hodeidah on Sep 25, coordinated with local authorities, in order to monitor conditions of detention and the treatment of detainees. The organization is trying to facilitate links between the detainees and their families or diplomatic representations of their respective home countries. They were from Bulgaria, the Philippines, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico. Several of the 17 Filipino crew members were experiencing significant health issues, showing symptoms of malaria. Report with photo: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/red-cross-visits-crew-of-hijacked-israel-linked-ship-for-2nd-time-since-being-detained-in-yemen/

Satellite images on Sep 17 have confirmed that the fire on the 'Sounion' was still on at the ship's new location, 81 kilometres off the coast of Eritrea in the Red Sea, following a delicate towing operation over the weekend. Sources suggested that Saudi Arabia will now provide funding for some of the next stages of the salvage operation, which will begin by trying to douse the vessel before starting a ship-to-ship transfer operation to remove the 1.1 million barrels of Iraqi heavy crude on board. Dousing the blaze and assessing the vessel’s condition were preconditions for the decision for an STS. The salvage teams will also have to patch up damage caused by the explosive charges the Houthis had placed aboard. Reports with photo: https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/satellite-images-show-the-difficult-mission-to-save-a-stricken-oil-tanker-in-the-red-sea/amp_articleshow/113465230.cms https://sea-man.org/news/mt-sounion-fire.html

The 'Royal TB 17', towing the barge 'OB Royal 17', was attacked by pirates in the southern waters of Tanjung Malatayur, Pulang Pisau Regency, Central Kalimantan, on the morning of Sep 22, 2024. The ship was en route from Bagendang Port, Sampit, to Stagen Kotabaru, when the attack occurred in pos. 04°12’138” S - 113°49’371” E at approximately 6:30 p.m. WIB, The tug was approached by a small boat carrying five armed men. Four of the assailants boarded the ÄOB Royal 17', leaving one person on the small boat. The attackers, armed with firearms and sharp weapons, locked all crew members inside the barge’s toilet and took control of the vessel. Then the pirates moved to the ''Royal TB 17', where they also threatened and restrained the captain and crew in the mess room, binding them with plastic ropes. During the attack, the assailants siphoned the fame cargo onto a tanker while also stealing communication devices and valuables from the crew. The piracy lasted between 8 and 10 hours, Items stolen included 21 mobile phones, cash amounting to approximately IDR 17,200,000, and navigational equipment such as a Furuno radar and binoculars. The exact amount of fame stolen was still under investigation. Additionally, the pirates damaged communication and navigational tools, making it difficult for the crew to report the incident immediately. The perpetrators were reportedly speaking in a Malay or Banjar dialect. Three of the attackers were described as follows: two were thin, approximately 168 cm tall, while the other was stockier, with a similar height. The authorities have coordinated with the Samuda Navy to pursue the suspects. The tug was heading towards Samuda estuary for further action, including assistance with anchoring at Das Mentaya waters.

The 'Sounion' has been successfully towed to safety without any oil spillage, the European Union’s naval mission in the Red Sea, Aspides, announced on Sep 16. The difficult towing operation was successfully completed by private actors. The Aspides mission will continue to monitor the situation. Fires were still visible from its deck while the ship was towed northwards. The convoy was escorted by three frigates, with helicopters overhead, while three tugs were engaged in the towage operation. The 'Sounion'’s destination is currently unknown with European naval forces merely stating a “safe location”. Salvors are now likely to assess how to proceed with a ship-to-ship transfer to empty the cargo of Iraqi heavy crude. Reports with photos: https://lemarin.ouest-france.fr/defense/le-petrolier-sounion-attaque-en-mer-rouge-par-les-houthistes-est-en-lieu-sur-b5fb71f6-74cb-11ef-8ac3-f7eb9db10673 https://splash247.com/sounion-successfully-towed-away-from-yemeni-coastline/

It could take weeks to put out the fires aboard the 'Sounion' after it was towed away from the danger zone and moved further north to safer waters in the Red Sea a week ago. Specialist teams were focused on putting out the flames and preventing further blasts from gases that have built up in the cargo tanks. A complex stabilisation and firefighting operation was due to begin shortly. Specialist equipment has now arrived and was being prepared for the firefighting phase. None of the crude cargo has leaked from the vessel, though it was hit three times by the Houthis. The missiles struck the starboard side, damaging the engine compartment and starting a fire. The crude cargo is owned by Greek refiner Motor Oil.