Oil tanker operator says crew safe after blast off coast of Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah
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No crew member of the Singapore-flagged BW Rhine oil tanker was injured as a result of the explosion that occurred in the early hours of Monday off the shore of the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah, the oil tanker operator Hafnia said in a press release.
Earlier in the day, the UK maritime trade authority reported the explosion near Jeddah. An investigation was launched into the case. According to the Dryad Global maritime security company, the blast took place while the vessel was conducting operations within the anchorage at the Saudi Aramco Jeddah port.
"The Master immediately ceased all discharge operations and enacted emergency procedures onboard. The crew have extinguished the fire with assistance from the shore fire brigade and tug boats, and all 22 seafarers have been accounted for with no injuries," Hafnia, which is operating under maritime company BW Group Limited, said.
The vessel was hit from an external source while discharging in Jeddah at around 00:40 local time (21:40 GMT), the release said, adding that water ballast and cargo tanks on the port side sustained damages.
"Cooling procedures and inerting of cargo space have been initiated to avoid reignition of fire," the company said.
Hafnia does not rule out an oil spill, but, as of now, receives no confirmation on the matter, as the ship devices currently show oil levels aboard being at the same level as before the incident.
Meanwhile, security experts have told shipping news agency Trade Winds that Yemen's Shia rebel Houthi movement is unlikely to be responsible for the explosion, because the incident occurred in a remote area.
