ADEN, Yemen, June 23 (Xinhua) -- A commercial vessel operating in the waters southeast of Yemen's Nishtun port was abandoned by its crew on Sunday after encountering flooding "that cannot be contained," the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported.
The incident occurred roughly 96 nautical miles from the Yemeni coastline near the Arabian Sea, according to the UKMTO.
The ship's captain and crew were forced to evacuate after efforts to control the flooding proved futile. The maritime authority confirmed that all crew members were safely recovered by a nearby vessel responding to the distress call.
The UKMTO received and investigated the distress signal prior to the evacuation. Details regarding the nature and origin of the flooding remain undisclosed.
The incident came amid heightened tensions in the region. Since November last year, the Houthi militia has launched drone and missile attacks on "Israeli-linked" ships, citing solidarity with Palestinians during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, there is no official confirmation linking the flooding incident near Nishtun to the Houthi attacks. ■
