Yemen Monitor/Sanaa/Exclusive:
The Panama-flagged cargo ship “ISA Star” is dangerously drifting near Bab el-Mandeb strait off the coast of Yemen after its crew abandoned the ship due to severe flooding in the engine room.
The ship, which is now tilted backward and leaking oil, poses a significant threat to navigation in the region.
On December 5, the captain of the ISA Star sent out a distress call, reporting rising water in the engine room.
The 20-member crew, including 15 Indians, two Sri Lankans, one Nepalese, one Indonesian, and one Vietnamese, were safely evacuated and taken to Djibouti by naval forces.
The rescue operation was coordinated through Operation ASPIDES, the EU’s naval mission to counter Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. The French frigate FS Languedoc, which was patrolling the area, responded immediately and carried out the evacuation.
The crew was transferred to a Qatari ship named “Barakat Jourad Haqamadu” belonging to the Port of Djibouti and Free Zones Authority and arrived in Djibouti on December 6.
Reports reveal that the crew left behind all their belongings, including passports and identity documents, as they rushed to abandon the sinking ship.
The ship, operated by Azimuth Ship Management based in the UAE and owned by a company from Hong Kong, was traveling without cargo after loading machinery in Italy.
The ISA Star departed from Italy on November 19 and stopped in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on December 3. It was on its way to Indonesia when the incident occurred about 100 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah, Yemen.
While the exact cause of the flooding remains unknown, some reports suggest an external explosion, while others point to mechanical problems in the engine room.
Authorities in Djibouti have hinted at the possibility of an attack, but no Western official has confirmed this.
