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View of a cargo ship in the port of Hudaydah, Yemen. Photo/Mohammed Hamoud/Anadolu Agency
SANAA – A British container ship is in danger of sinking off the west coast of Yemen after being hit by a Houthi missile earlier this month.
A Yemeni official warned about this on Wednesday (28/2/2024), reported by Anadolu Agency.
On February 18, the Houthi group announced targeting the cargo ship Rubymar in the Gulf of Aden with several naval missiles. The attack caused severe damage to the ship.
“Due to strong winds and waves, the ship turned from the Gulf of Aden to offshore Mokha, which faces the south of the Red Sea, near the Bab El-Mandeb Strait,” the official said.
In a statement to Anadolu Agency, Al-Hudaydah Governor Al-Hassan Taher said the British ship Rubymar turned 16 miles (25.7 kilometers) off the west coast opposite the town of Mokha after being pushed by strong winds and waves. He warned of the sinking of the ship.
After visiting the ship's site on Tuesday accompanied by environmental officials and specialists, Taher confirmed the ship, “is in a tragic situation and is on the verge of sinking after water leaked into the engine room, which would result in a major environmental disaster if the ship sinks.”
“If this is not avoided, the ship will surely sink, causing an environmental disaster for marine life and the population of Al-Hudaydah province in general, as more than 90% of its population depends on fishing for their livelihood,” he said.
Taher stressed the government was taking action with relevant authorities to safely pull the ship out of Yemen's regional waters.
Rubymar was targeted by the Houthis while carrying large quantities of ammonia and oil, according to Yemen's official Saba news agency.