Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, Osama Rabie, announced on Monday the successful towing of the Greek oil tanker “SOUNION” through the Suez Canal after it was attacked by the Iran-aligned Yemeni Houthi group in the Red Sea last August.
The Houthis attacked the “SOUNION” tanker on August 21, when it was carrying about one million barrels of crude oil. The attack caused a massive fire that affected the control room, the engine room, and the crew’s living quarters on the tanker.
Rabie explained in a statement that the towing operation lasted for approximately 24 hours and involved 13 maritime captains and 4 tugboats belonging to the Authority. Among them was the “Baraka” tugboat, the largest in the Authority’s fleet, with a towing capacity of 160 tons, as well as the “Mohamed Bashir,” “Suez 1,” and “Suez 2” tugboats.
The Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority pointed out that the tanker, which is 274 meters long and 50 meters wide, required “exceptional and complex procedures” that lasted for several months.
These procedures included unloading its cargo of 150,000 tons of crude oil before allowing it to pass through the canal, due to the risk posed by the malfunctioning control and navigation systems, which made sailing impossible and increased the dangers of pollution, oil spills, or explosions.
Rabie revealed that the unloading operation in the Suez Anchorage Area was carried out by the salvage companies “AMBERY” and “MEGA TUGS”, appointed by the tanker’s owners, in cooperation with and under the full supervision of the Suez Canal Authority’s marine rescue team.
He added that the Central Committee for Pollution Control of the Authority monitored the unloading process and the measures taken to ensure no leaks occurred, while raising the readiness level and deploying the “Kashet 2” anti-pollution launch during the towing operation.
Rabie emphasized the “readiness of the Suez Canal to handle special and non-traditional transits” through a comprehensive system that includes qualified personnel and advanced technical and material capabilities.
