Ship Abandoned off Yemen Listing and Leaking Oil as Crew Reaches Djibouti

The crew from the Panama-flagged cargo ship ISA Star arrived in Djibouti on Friday, December 6 after having left their vessel at the northern reaches of the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen. While the crew is reported to be in good condition, warnings have been issued that their vessel continues to drift and is a hazard to navigation in the area. A photo released by the French forces that organized the rescue clearly shows a trial of oil from the ship.

The French command for the Indian Ocean reports it received the call from EUNAVFOR Aspides on Thursday, December 5 to provide assistance to the cargo ship after the captain advised the ship was flooding in its engine room. According to the Djibouti Ports & Free Zones Authority, the captain reported that they were facing an escalating emergency and that the crew intended to abandon ship without their belongings, even their passports and papers.

The ISA Star (8,275 dwt) is managed by a company in the UAE. According to the reports, the vessel loaded machinery in Italy and was sailing to Indonesia. It was not carrying any dangerous cargo. The crew consisted of 15 Indian nationals, two from Sri Lanka, and one each from Nepal, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

A French frigate was in the area protecting two commercial vessels transiting the danger zone near Yemen when the call went out. The frigate reached the ISA Star and coordinated the evacuation and rescue of the crew. The crew was later transferred to the Barkhat Gourad Hamadou tugboat and taken to Djibouti where they arrived today, December 6.

The authorities in Djibouti said the vessel had been attacked and experienced severe engine room flooding. None of the Western authorities however cited an attack with most reports saying the vessel experienced an engine problem or possibly an internal explosion. The Houthis’ spokesperson has not acknowledged the incident or claimed responsibility.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations released a warning alert on Friday after a “military source” reported the drifting vessel approximately 105 nautical miles northwest of Hudaydah, Yemen. “A merchant vessel is listing astern and is a hazard to shipping,” UKMTO warned saying the vessel was drifting and not under command.

Aspides highlights the strong coordination between the forces to rescue the crew without incident.