(Reuters) – Tugs are expected to begin towing a damaged Greek oil tanker on Sunday, Yemen’s Houthi Foreign Minister Jamel Amer said, as the vessel remains adrift and on fire in the Red Sea.
The Greek-registered Sounion poses an environmental hazard after it was damaged in an Aug. 21 strike by Houthi forces.
The tanker, which the Houthis and maritime sources have said has been rigged with explosives, is laden with about 1 million barrels of crude oil.
“Tug boats are expected to arrive tomorrow, Sunday, to begin towing the Sounion ship,” Amer said in a statement on Facebook.
The Houthis said on Wednesday they would allow salvage crews to tow the ship – which has been on fire since Aug. 23 – to safety amid fears of a potential slip of 150,000 tonnes of crude oil into the Red Sea.
If a spill occurs, it has the potential to be among the largest from a ship in recorded history and could cause an environmental catastrophe in an area that is particularly dangerous to access.
Sources said on Friday that any salvage operation would require an inspection and survey of the vessel to decide whether it can be towed to a port or if a ship-to-ship transfer of its cargo is required.
Houthi militants have carried out multiple assaults, including planting bombs, on the already disabled 900-foot (274-metre) Sounion, which is operated by Athens-based Delta Tankers.
The Iran-aligned Houthis have been waging a campaign against commercial shipping to support Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
(Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; Editing by Christina Fincher)
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