Fire on board an LPG Tanker in the Gulf of Aden
Issued: 8 months, 3 weeks ago
| Date | Reference | Region | Category | Aggressors | Source |
| 2025-10-18 09:45:00 | CW Alert 005- (Oct 25) | Indian Ocean | Maritime incident | NIL | UKTMO/Closed/EUNAVFOR/JMIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The UKMTO have been informed by the Company Security Officer that a vessel has been struck by an unknown projectile whilst underway, approximately 109nm Southeast of Aden, Yemen. Clearwater has also received information that the vessel involved is a Cameroon-flagger LPG tanker. Initial reports indicate that a fire has broken out on the vessel. There are twenty-six crew onboard, twenty-four crew members have evacuated the tanker into life rafts, with two crew members remaining onboard to carry out assessments of the situation. A Botswana-flagged tanker has diverted and is providing assistance. UPDATE 1: EUNAVFOR have issued a statement reporting that the Botswana-flagged tanker has rescued twenty-four crew members and has started to head for Djibouti. The two remaining crew members are now assessed as missing. EUNAVFOR are reporting that a Greek Frigate is tasked at the scene and that the initial cause of the blast onboard is unclear. The tanker is fully loaded with liquefied natural gas (LNG), and it is advised that vessels in the area maintain a safe distance due to the risk of explosion. UPDATE 2: The UKMTO have stated they have been unable to confirm the source of the explosion onboard and cannot rule out an onboard accident. UPDATE 3: The UKMTO is unable to confirm the source of the reported incident, in the interim, this alert is not being classified as an attack. UPDATE 4: JMIC have reported that according to the crew of the tanker; the incident resulted from an explosion deemed as an accident and not caused by any external factors. The two missing crew members have unfortunately lost their lives. UPDATE 5: The UKMTO have given an update on the location of the vessel at 04:00 UTC on the 24th October 2025. The location is as follows: 12°23.00'N - 048°07.00'E. | |||||