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Red Sea: a sunken cargo ship, possible ecological disaster
A cargo ship carrying 21,000 tonnes of fertilizer was sunk on February 19 by an attack by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. The consequences are likely to be serious for the environment, but also for trade.
(Franceinfo)
A cargo ship carrying 21,000 tonnes of fertilizer was sunk on February 19 by an attack by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. The consequences are likely to be serious for the environment, but also for trade.
The image was released by the US military. The freighter Rubymar on its side, below the surface of the sea, is sinking. An inevitable outcome for this bulk carrier which drifted for ten days in the Red Sea before sinking. The Rubymar, owned by a British company, left the United Arab Emirates on February 11, heading for Bulgaria. But the cargo ship was hit by two missiles fired by Houthi rebels off the port of Mokha (Yemen).
Tons of chemical fertilizers in the sea
The Rubymar becomes a ticking time bomb. On satellite images, we can see tons of fuel oil spilled into the Red Sea. The trail stretches for 29 kilometers. But it is above all its cargo that worries: tons of highly toxic chemical fertilizers. “20,000 tonnes of chemical fertilizers will be dumped, particularly on the coral reefs. There will undoubtedly be a proliferation of algae which will degrade the environment”warns Jacky Bonnemains, president of the Robin des bois association.
