A week after the attack on the flag carrier Greece tankowiec Sounion The US State Department has warned against probable oil spillfour times larger than the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989, during which some 115,000 tons of oil may have leaked into the waters off the coast of Alaska.
The damaged Sounion carries over 150 thousand tons of oil, or about one million barrels.
Red Sea: Houthi attack on tanker, may leak oil
Spokesman PentagonGeneral Patrick Ryder reported that Two tugboats were sent to the sitewhich were to transport the destroyed tanker, but the fighters The Houthis threatened to attack on them too.
At the same time, the military officer stressed that United States they are working with allies in the region to mitigate the impact of a potential disaster on the environment.
On Wednesday, August 21, the British side reported that the tanker Sounion in the Red Sea was fired at from two small boatsand then hit by an undetermined type of projectile, which caused a fire and “knocked out the engine.”
A day later 25-person crew was rescued by a European warship and transported to Djibouti.
An abandoned tanker, anchored between Yemen and Eritrea, was then attacked again, Houthi rebels posted online recordingwhich allegedly shows the moment the unit was set on fire. London reported at the time that it had received a report of three fires on the ship.
Houthi Attack in Red Sea, Threat of Massive Spill
Supported by Iran Yemen's Houthi fighters say they have been fighting for ten months they attack ships in the Red Seaas part of what they believe is “support” for Palestinians fighting in the war between Israel a Sixteen in the Gaza Strip. The rebels claim – often falsely – that they are only targeting ships with links to Israel, the US or Great Britain.
Sounion is the third ship belonging to Athenian Delta Tankers fleetwhich fell victim to a Houthi attack in August.
The largest leak ever recorded oil from the ship took place in 1979. At that time, the Atlantic Empress, after colliding with another ship of the same type in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Tobago and during a storm, leaked about 287 thousand tons of oil.
Stay up to date and become one of over 200 thousand followers of our fanpage – like Interia Events on Facebook and comment on our articles there!