The LPG tanker MV Falcon was ablaze and drifting on 18th October off the coast of Yemen, having reported an explosion that led to members of the crew abandoning the ship, the European Union’s naval force Aspides said in a release.
The reason behind the blast was unknown, Aspides stated, and 15% of the Cameroon-flagged ship was alight, as indicated in preliminary reports.
Because of the threat of another explosion, as the tanker had been carrying its full capacity of liquefied petroleum gas, Aspides stated that it had instructed ships in the vicinity to maintain a safe distance from the carrier.
Its 26 crew members were being rescued as part of an ongoing operation.
To date, 24 seafarers have been rescued by two nearby merchant ships. Among their crew, one is still aboard while another is listed as missing, Aspides stated, noting that a Greek frigate had been sent near the incident area.
The MV Falcon was on its way from Oman’s Sohar Port to Djibouti, British security company Ambrey reported earlier. The blast happened while it was passing 113 nautical miles southeast of the port of Aden in Yemen.
Maritime security sources indicated that missiles or unmanned aerial vehicles had not been seen in the vicinity.
British security company Ambrey reported the tanker did not fit the profile of Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants’ target.
A Houthi defence ministry official denied that the group was involved in the incident, as reported by the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency.
Houthi militants have attacked several ships in the Red Sea since 2023, stating they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel’s war on Gaza.
The assault has been disrupting commerce flows across the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, among the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
