The Turkish bulk carrier ‘Ince Inebolu’ sustained an explosion, while anchored about 70 nm off the port of Hodeidah, Yemen, according to an official confirmation by Saudi coalition forces.
The cause of the incident appears to be uncertain at the moment. Houthi rebels have launched several attacks on Saudi-allied vessels off Hodeidah in the recent past, during Yemen’s three-year-old war.
However, this time, the explosion seemed to have originated from the hull, as forces conducted a survey onboard and found an explosion from the inside to the outside, an official explained to Reuters.
In the meantime, other sources indicate that a missile strike is also possible. The ship was carrying 50,000 tonnes of Russian milling wheat.
At the time of the incident, ‘Ince Inebolu’ was waiting for entry to the Houthi-controlled port of Saleef. The Saudi coalition later towed the ship to the port of Jizan, Saudi Arabia.
