(Washington) A cargo ship damaged in an attack by Yemeni Houthi rebels has left a huge oil slick in the Gulf of Aden, Washington warned on Friday, warning of the risks of a serious ecological disaster.
The Rubymar, a Belize-flagged cargo ship registered in the United Kingdom and operated by Lebanon, was carrying combustible fertilizer when it was targeted by a missile strike on Sunday, claimed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Its crew was evacuated to Djibouti but a first missile hit the side of the ship, causing water to enter the engine room and the collapse of its stern, said its operator, the Blue Fleet group.
A second missile hit the bridge without causing major damage, Blue Fleet CEO Roy Khoury told AFP.
U.S. Central Command said Friday that the abandoned ship was anchored but was slowly taking on water and had already left an oil slick of nearly 18 miles (29 kilometers).
“The M/V Rubymar was carrying more than 41,000 tons of fertilizer when it was attacked, which could spill into the Red Sea and worsen this environmental disaster,” the US Middle East Command said ( Centcom) in a message on the social network
On Thursday, the operator said the vessel could be towed to Djibouti this week.
According to Mr. Khoury, the ship was still afloat at the time. The CEO shared an image taken on Wednesday showing the boat’s stern at water level.
Asked about the possibility of a sinking, Mr Khoury said there was “no risk at the moment” but there was “always a possibility”.
The attack on the Rubymar caused the most extensive damage to a commercial vessel since the Houthis began their attacks in November in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) warned in late January that the volume of commercial traffic passing through the Suez Canal had fallen by more than 40% over the previous two months.
Before the conflict, between 12 and 15% of global traffic passed through this axis, according to the EU.
From now on, a large part of the maritime traffic between South Asia and Europe avoids the Suez Canal and goes around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, which extends the journey by around two weeks.