Ship fire in Red Sea not linked to Houthi attacks, maritime center says

A fire aboard the Hong Kong-flagged ASL Bauhinia on Tuesday was not linked to Houthi attacks, the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Joint Maritime Information Center said on Wednesday.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, JMIC said.

A maritime security source told Reuters that the fire resulted from hazardous cargo on board.

There has been a spate of fires on board container ships in recent years due to flammable cargoes.

The crew of the container ship abandoned it in the Red Sea on Tuesday, according to two maritime sources.

Houthis have launched attacks on international shipping near Yemen since November 2023 in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier this month, the Houthis said the group would limit its attacks on commercial vessels sailing through the Red Sea to Israel-linked ships, provided the Gaza ceasefire is fully implemented.

Since the Houthi attacks began, most vessels have diverted to the longer east-west route via the southern tip of Africa.