A Cameroon-flagged liquefied natural gas tanker issued a distress call after an explosion off Yemen’s coast, maritime security agencies said Saturday.
The blast occurred in the Gulf of Aden, about 60 nautical miles south of Ahwar, according to the British firm Ambrey.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that a fire erupted onboard after the vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile.
Ambrey said the crew signalled their intent to abandon ship, prompting an immediate search and rescue operation in the troubled waters.
The EU’s naval mission, Aspides, confirmed that 24 of the MV Falcon’s 26 crew members were rescued, with one still aboard and another missing.
The tanker, en route from Sohar in Oman to Djibouti, was not among the typical targets of Yemen’s Huthi rebels, Ambrey noted.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred along one of the world’s most vital shipping routes.
The Gulf of Aden has witnessed repeated assaults by the Iran-backed Huthi movement, which says it targets vessels linked to Israel.
Since the Gaza war began, the rebels have launched missiles and drones at ships in a campaign they call solidarity with the Palestinians.
Ambrey added that the Falcon was listed in 2022 by the US group United Against Nuclear Iran for alleged sanctions evasion activity.
Last month, a similar attack on a Dutch cargo ship in the same waters killed one crew member, heightening maritime fears.
Israel later responded with airstrikes on Huthi positions in Sanaa and northern Yemen, intensifying regional tensions at sea and on land.
The Huthis have since declared themselves on “alert,” saying they are monitoring the Israel-Hamas ceasefire before halting their operations.