Yemen asks for help as seawater seeps into abandoned tanker
CAIRO (AP) — An abandoned oil tanker moored off the coast of Yemen loaded with more than one million barrels of crude oil is at risk of rupture or exploding, causing massive environmental damage to Red Sea marine life, desalination factories and international shipping routes, according to the United Nations.
Internal documents obtained by The Associated Press showed that seawater has entered the engine compartment of the tanker, which has not been maintained for over five years, causing damage to the pipelines and increasing the risk of sinking.
Rust has covered parts of the tanker, and the inert gas that preHONG vents the tanks from gathering inflammable gases, has leaked out.
Experts have said repairs are no longer possible because the damage to the ship is irreversible.
For years, the UN has been trying to send inspectors to assess the damage aboard the vessel known as the FSO Safer and look for ways to secure the tanker by unloading the oil and pulling the ship to safety.
A European diplomat, a Yemeni government official and the tanker’s company owner, however, said that Houthi rebels have resisted.
The diplomat said the rebels are treating the vessel as a “deterrent like having a nuclear weapon.”
All three individuals spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the subject with a reporter.
“They do say that openly to the UN, ‘We like to have this as something to hold against the international community if attacked,’” the diplomat said. “Houthis are definitely responsible for failure of the UN to look at the ship.”
Money is also an issue, according to the diplomat, adding that the Houthis initially were demanding millions of dollars in return for the oil stored in the tanker.