Situation at Red Sea gets further compounded following a vessel explosion involving 1,800 TEU (twenty foot equivalent units) ship ASL Bauhinia operated by Emirates Shipping Lines. The Hong Kong-flagged container ship was abandoned in the Red Sea on Wednesday after a serious fire broke out following an explosion. The exact reason for the explosion is unknown.
The incident occurred about 225 km off Yemen’s Hodeida coast where the Houthi terrorists have been attacking commercial ships. The entire crew managed to evacuate safely and was rescued by nearby vessels, according to UK-based Lloyds List Intellignce report.
This event takes place against the backdrop of ongoing maritime security challenges in the Red Sea, where commercial shipping has dropped by 80 per cent in recent months. Major shipping companies have already rerouted their vessels around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, significantly impacting global trade routes, the report said.
The ASL Bauhinia incident adds to the growing list of maritime security concerns in this crucial waterway, highlighting the continued risks faced by commercial vessels traversing the region. The investigation into the exact cause of the explosion is ongoing, the report said.
Sebastian Wrobel, founder of FreightTech.org, a non-profit foundation, said this event takes place against the backdrop of ongoing maritime security challenges in the Red Sea, where commercial shipping has dropped by 80 per cent in recent months. Major shipping companies have already rerouted their vessels around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, significantly impacting global trade routes.
The ASL Bauhinia incident adds to the growing list of maritime security concerns in this crucial waterway, highlighting the continued risks faced by commercial vessels traversing the region. The investigation into the exact cause of the explosion is ongoing, he said in a social media post.
Lars Jensen, a leading expert in the container shipping industry based in Denmark in his post said initial indications are that this is an accident involving hazardous cargo. Crew has abandoned ship and appears to have been picked up. Vessel is presently adrift and a navigational hazard.
The vessel, which was going from Jeddah to Aqaba, is quite new and delivered in 2022, he said.
Its been over a year since Houthi militants began attacking commercial ships in the region, leading to a major disruption in global trade. Commercial ships now largely avoid the Suez Canal — the shortest sea link between Asia and Europe — and instead voyage longer round the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
Before the attacks began towards the end of 2023, about 12 per cent of global trade passed through the Suez Canal. That share plummeted by 66 per cent in July and by more than 70 per cent currently.