British tanker has been hit in Jeddah port
ISWNews Analysis Group: BW Rhine has been hit from an external source whilst discharging at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at approximately 00:40 local time on 14 December, causing an explosion and subsequent fire onboard.
British tanker BW Rhine, a Singapore-flagged LR1 product tanker belonging to the fleet of Hafnia, has been hit from an “external source” whilst discharging at Jeddah just after midnight, according to a release from the BW subsidiary. The “external source” caused an explosion and subsequent fire onboard.
The tanker is said to have exploded due to a collision with a Ansar Allah naval mine. Hull damage has occurred at water ballast tank five on the port side and cargo tank four on the port side.
The Red Sea is a vital shipping lane for both cargo and global energy supplies, making any mining of the area a danger not only to Saudi Arabia but to the rest of the world. Mines can enter the water and then be carried away by the currents that change by the season in the Red Sea.
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