Chinese-Owned Containership Abandoned in Red Sea After Fire Breaks Out
The crew of a Chinese-owned containership reportedly abandoned the vessel this morning in the Red Sea after a fire broke out. Few details have been released, but it is believed to possibly be a container fire and not an attack from the Houthi rebels which have promised to honor the Gaza ceasefire.
The vessel in question is the ASL Bauhinia, a 24,727 dwt ship built in China in 2022. Owned by Asean Sea Lines, a Shanghai-based regional carrier, the ASL Bauhinia entered service in October 2022 as its first 1,900 TEU vessel. It is registered in Hong Kong and classed by Japan’s ClassNK.
Departing from the Jebel Ali commercial terminal in Dubai on January 22, the ship was en route to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Asean Line, which began operations in 2011, is reportedly operating the vessel in partnership with another regional Chinese carrier, CU Lines. According to CU Lines’ schedule, the ASL Bauhinia was set to arrive in Saudi Arabia today and then proceed to Aqaba, Jordan.
Reports of a fire aboard the vessel surfaced around midnight, prompting the crew to abandon ship. The crew was later rescued by another passing vessel, as per Associated Press. As of the latest update from the Diaplous Group, the containership is currently located approximately 140 miles off the coast of Hodeida, Yemen. The vessel is said to be ablaze and drifting at sea.