The fire on board the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Marlin Luanda is out and all crew are safe.
The situation on board was confirmed by the ship’s operator, commodity trading giant Trafigura.
“We are pleased to confirm that all crew on board the Marlin Luanda are safe and the fire in the cargo tank has been fully extinguished. The vessel is now sailing towards a safe harbour. The crew continues to monitor the vessel and cargo closely,” the company said in a statement.
The British-owned tanker was struck by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Friday while transiting the Gulf of Aden towards Singapore with a cargo of Russian naphtha.
The fire impacted one of the ship’s cargo tanks on the starboard side, Trafigura said. Amazingly, no injuries were reported.
Photos shared by the Indian Navy showed the fire still burning Saturday morning.
“We would like to recognise the exceptional dedication and bravery of the ship’s master and crew who managed to control the fire in highly difficult circumstances, as well as the essential assistance provided by Indian, United States and French Navy vessels to achieve this outcome,” Trafigura said.
“No further vessels operating on behalf of Trafigura are currently transiting the Gulf of Aden and we continue to assess carefully the risks involved in any voyage, including in respect of security and safety of the crew, together with shipowners and customers,” it added.
Since mid-November, the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist group has launched nearly three dozen attacks on commercial vessels using a a variety of weapons including anti-ship ballistic missiles, land-attack cruise missiles, uncrewed surface vessels and unmanned surface vehicles.
The incident involving the Marlin Luanda marks the most serious to date in terms of damage.
A spokesperson for the Trafigura said the cargo carried by ship was purchased below the price cap imposed by G7 nations, European Union and Australia.
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