The ASL Bauhinia Abandoned in Red Sea After Fire

The crew of the Hong Kong-flagged ASL Bauhinia have abandoned the container ship in the Red Sea after it caught fire on Tuesday, according to two maritime sources. The cause of the incident is not immediately clear.

The crew were rescued by another vessel and are safe, the sources confirmed. The incident took place in the open sea off Yemen.

The Shanghai-based manager of ASL Bauhinia, Asean Seas Line, was not immediately available for comment on the situation.

Houthi Militia Announcement

Earlier this month, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia announced that they would limit their attacks on commercial vessels sailing through the Red Sea to Israel-linked ships, provided the Gaza ceasefire is fully implemented.

Despite this announcement, commercial ship owners, insurers, and retailers remain cautious. The current traffic through the Red Sea and Suez Canal is dominated by Chinese and Russian linked vessels, which are perceived as lower risk.

Since the Houthis began attacks on shipping in support of the Palestinians in Gaza, most vessels have opted to divert to the longer east-west route via the southern tip of Africa.

(Source: Reuters – Reporting by Jonathan Saul, Renee Maltezou and Yannis Souliotis; editing by Jason Neely)