Stranded ship hit by Houthis has 21,000 tonnes of dangerous fertiliser aboard

US warns of environmental disaster as MV Rubymar remains partially submerged in narrow Bab Al Mandeb strait

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A cargo ship badly damaged by a Houthi strike this month is out of action and anchored in the Red Sea while carrying tens of thousands of tonnes of fertiliser, the owner of the ship’s operating company said on Monday.

The MV Rubymar – a Belize-flagged, UK-owned, Lebanese-operated bulk carrier – remains mostly afloat but the engine room and one of the holds have become submerged, according to Roy Khoury, head of the Athens-based Blue Fleet Group that runs the ship.

The Houthi strike caused a “small” fuel leak that will be repaired by a work ship, Mr Khoury said.

Satellite images of the stricken vessel show a fuel spill stretching for about 30km from the ship, which was struck by two Houthi missiles on February 18.

The 24-member crew, from Syria, Egypt, India and the Philippines, have been evacuated through Djibouti.

Authorities at the Djibouti port warned the fertiliser on board the ship was very dangerous.

Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority said the vessel had a load of 22,000 tonnes of fertiliser and was abandoned in the Bab Al Mandeb strait.

The Blue Fleet Group also has an office in Beirut, which was hit by a massive explosion in August 2020 after 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate caught fire.

The Rubymar was heading for Bulgaria when it was struck by Yemen’s Houthis, who have been attacking shipping in the Red Sea since November in a campaign they say is aimed at disrupting global trade to pressure Israel to withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Plans for the ship to be towed to Djibouti or the Yemeni city of Aden were foiled when both ports refused to allow the ship to dock.

“We are contracting a tug boat to come alongside and tow the vessel to a safe port,” Mr Khoury told media.

“The problem is that neither Djibouti nor Aden port authorities are accepting the vessel. No idea why Aden is refusing the ship. Same applies to Djibouti.”

It will cost about $1 million to tow the vessel to Jeddah, he said.

He did not confirm whether the Saudi port had accepted the partially sunken ship.

Alan Coleman, owner of Aalmar Surveys Group, which specialises in maritime services including ship inspection and has worked on salvage operations, said the vessel’s fate could depend on its insurance and the risk appetite of salvagers.

“It depends if the vessel has P&I [protection and indemnity insurance] and is worth the risk-reward of salvage to any salvage company,” Mr Coleman said.

“If not insured, I would say that it will stay where it is and pollute and possibly sink in that location if in international water.