Satellite images reveal an oil slick extending over 125 miles in the Red Sea, highlighting a new environmental disaster in a region where commercial ships face frequent attacks from Yemen’s Houthi militants. The slick stretches from about 60 miles northwest of the Yemeni city of Hodeidah and continues north, according to Sentinel 2 satellite images taken on July 16, which showed no sign of the slick on July 14, reports Ajot.
Oil spill
The source of the spill remains unclear, as does whether it directly resulted from a Houthi attack. Recently, several ships have been targeted in the area, including one that was investigating a potential oil spill after being attacked by a sea drone, according to the UK Navy.
The ship had collected 90,000 tons (about 600,000 barrels) of fuel oil from Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk on July 2 and was en route to China. Most seagoing merchant ships also use fuel oil for power. The vessel’s manager reported minor damage to the ship, with the crew unharmed but did not confirm if oil was spilling from the tanker.
The Houthis have escalated attacks on vessels in the Red Sea for months, protesting Israel’s conflict with Hamas. Despite many ships opting to sail around Africa to avoid the area, some continue to navigate these difficult waters. Attacks peaked last month, the most active this year, resulting in the sinking of another ship by a sea drone.
Earlier this year, the sinking of a vessel by the Houthis resulted in a fertilizer spill. Other ships have sustained damage, some continuing to their destinations and others awaiting salvage.
According to Wim Zwijnenburg, a project leader at the Netherlands-based PAX, the spill’s shape, color, and spread suggest it is likely to fuel oil. John Amos, CEO of investigative nonprofit SkyTruth, noted that surface winds are pushing the slick southward, with two large gyres in the surface currents making the slick highly convoluted.
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Source: Ajot
