Maersk, the Danish shipping company, announced on Wednesday that two vessels from its US subsidiary, en route to the Red Sea, reversed course following nearby explosions in an area that has witnessed attacks by Houthis.

Danish shipping giant Maersk said Wednesday that two ships belonging to a US subsidiary heading towards the Red Sea had turned back after explosions nearby in a zone where there have been attacks by Houthis.

The Maersk Detroit and the Maersk Chesapeake were transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait with a US Navy escort when they heard explosions, the company said.

“En route, both ships reported seeing explosions close by, and the US Navy accompaniment also intercepted multiple projectiles,” Maersk said in a statement.

“The crew, ship and cargo are safe and unharmed. The US Navy has turned both ships around and is escorting them back to the Gulf of Aden,” it added.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, passing next to Yemen.

Following Houthi attacks on commercial and military vessels, several shipping firms have diverted away from the Red Sea, instead taking the longer and more expensive route around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

Maersk also made this decision in early January. However, the Maersk Detroit and the Maersk Chesapeake, sailing under US flags, are operated by Maersk’s US subsidiary Maersk Line, Limited (MLL).

Following the incident, MLL will also suspend all traffic in the region until further notice, the Danish shipping company said.

With 12% of world trade passing through, according to the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the Red Sea is a “crucial waterway” linking the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, and hence Europe to Asia.

Some 20,000 ships pass through the Suez Canal every year, the gateway for ships entering and leaving the zone.

Avoiding the region and diverting transit via the Cape of Good Hope, at the southern tip of Africa, to connect Europe to Asia, considerably lengthens delivery times and freight rates.

The increases follow difficult years for the industry during the COVID pandemic, when freight rates reached unprecedented levels due to blockages in supply chains.

 

Khalil Wakim, with AFP