YNY | News
The Joint Maritime Information Center for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (JMIC) has denied any involvement of the Sana’a government in the fire that broke out aboard the ASL Bauhinia container ship, which flies the Hong Kong flag, on January 28. The center confirmed that the incident is unrelated to Houthi (Ansar Allah) attacks.
In an official statement, the center noted that the cause of the fire remains unclear, despite initial scenarios suggesting the possibility of hazardous cargo being involved. The investigations are still ongoing in collaboration with international authorities.
The center quoted maritime security sources who indicated that the dangerous cargo might have been the spark that ignited the fire, but determining its exact nature will require more time.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the crew of the ship was evacuated immediately after the incident, with no injuries.
Reuters’ analysis also revealed a noticeable increase in container ship fires globally in recent years, often attributed to the presence of flammable materials within the cargo, storage or ventilation errors, as well as insufficient safety procedures.
