Explosion and Fire on a Chinese Ship in the Red Sea

Maritime sources confirmed that early Tuesday, the crew of the Hong Kong-flagged container ship ASL Bauhinia abandoned the vessel in the southern Red Sea after a fire broke out. The cause, involving an explosion, is still unclear.
The 1,930-TEU vessel, built in 2022 and owned by Shanghai-based Asean Seas Line, was en route from Jebel Ali to the Suez Canal with Aqaba as its final destination, scheduled to call at Jeddah port on January 29th.
The all-Chinese crew was safely rescued by a nearby vessel with no injuries reported.
The incident occurred approximately 226 kilometers northwest of Hudaydah, Yemen, in open waters. Diaplous Maritime Services warned the drifting vessel poses a navigational hazard, while Ambrey suggested the fire might have been caused by hazardous cargo. Thick smoke was seen emanating from the forward section of the ship.
The ASL Bauhinia remains adrift, with investigations ongoing. The possibility of a Yemeni army attack is ruled out, given the cessation of military operations in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in line with the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The US and Israel might portray Yemeni waters as unsafe to justify actions against Yemen, including adding the Ansar Allah movement to the terrorist list.
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