Fire aboard gas tanker in Gulf of Aden kills two, ship adrift off Yemen

A fire aboard a Cameroonian-flagged gas tanker in the Gulf of Aden has left two crew members dead and the vessel adrift off the coast of Yemen, maritime authorities confirmed on October 20.

The blaze broke out on October 18 aboard the Falcon, with initial reports suggesting a possible attack. However, the U.S. Navy-overseen Joint Maritime Information Center later said the explosion appeared accidental, Caliber.Az reports per Arab News. 

“The incident resulted from an explosion deemed as an accident and not caused by external factor/influence,” the center said, citing testimony from surviving crew members.

Of the 26 people on board, 24 were safely evacuated by nearby responding vessels. The two fatalities were not immediately identified. According to authorities, the crew consisted of Indian nationals, with one Ukrainian among them. Photos released by the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority showed the rescued mariners arriving safely in Djibouti.

The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center initially reported the vessel had been “hit by an unknown projectile,” but later said it could not confirm the cause of the blast.

Satellite imagery from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by the Associated Press showed the tanker ablaze at 07:50 GMT on October 18. Photos released by the European Union’s maritime security mission, Operation Aspides, early on October 20 showed extensive damage to the ship's deck piping, with visible flames still burning. However, the vessel was not listing.

The Falcon “remains on fire and adrift,” Operation Aspides confirmed. A private firm is reportedly being contracted to conduct salvage operations.

The Falcon had previously been flagged by United Against Nuclear Iran, a New York-based advocacy group, as allegedly being part of a so-called Iranian “ghost fleet” that transports oil in defiance of international sanctions. 

By Sabina Mammadli