JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (CWBN)_A Singapore-flagged oil tanker, BW Rhine, suffered an explosion after being hit by “an external source” off Saudi Arabia, the owner and operator of the tanker, Hafnia, said in a statement.
The company said that as the incident, which occurred at around 00:40 local time, caused “an explosion and subsequent fire onboard”. Therefore, all discharge operations were ceased and emergency procedures were enacted onboard.
Subsequently, the fire was extinguished by the crew, with the assistance of the shore fire brigade and tug boats. It is reported that all 22 seafarers have been accounted for with no injuries. The Company noted while it is possible that some oil had escaped from the vessel, however, instrumentation indicates that current oil levels are at the same level as before the incident.
BW Rhine was carrying over 60,000 metric tons of unleaded gasoline from a refinery at Yanbu for consumption in the kingdom, according to the data-analysis firm Refinitiv. It was later berthed at Jeddah where the incident appears to have occurred.
The explosion renews concerns about ship safety in the Red Sea, a crucial transit zone for global shipping that had largely avoided the chaos of regional tensions involving the US and Iran last year.
Cooling procedures as well as inerting, the process of introducing a non-combustible gas to lessen the risk of fire, have been initiated to avoid any more potential fires. The company added that the stability of the ship is being assessed in order to ensure the security of the crew, vessel and environment.
Owner and operator of the tanker, Hafnia, is based in Singapore and operates a fleet of 178 vessels. The company transports oil and oil products for domestic and international oil companies, major chemical companies, and trading and utility companies.
