Explosion forces crew to abandon Hong Kong-flagged container ship in the Red Sea

(AP) — An explosion struck a Hong Kong-flagged container ship Tuesday traveling north through the Red Sea, sparking a major fire that forced its crew to abandon the vessel, shipping industry officials said.

The ship was drifting and ablaze some 225 kilometers (140 miles) off the coast of Hodeida, a port city in Yemen held by the country’s Houthis, said the Diaplous Group, a maritime firm.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the fire in the Red Sea, which has been repeatedly targeted by attacks from the Houthis.

The vessel was abandoned and the crew later rescued unharmed, another maritime industry official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as authorization hadn’t been given to speak publicly about the incident.

The official described the cargo aboard the vessel as “dangerous,” without immediately elaborating. The name of the vessel wasn’t released.