Major fire engulfs cargo ship in Socotra amid absence of rescue teams

SOCOTRA, Feb. 16 (YPA) – A massive fire broke out Monday evening on a wooden cargo ship docked at Hadibu Port in the Socotra Archipelago, southern Yemen.

The vessel, which arrived from Salalah Port in Oman, was completely destroyed along with its entire cargo.

Local sources reported that flames engulfed the ship for over an hour amidst a total absence of civil defense services. Despite urgent distress calls from port workers, no response was received from local authorities.

Eyewitnesses also noted that an Emirati firefighting vehicle stationed in Hadibu failed to intervene to extinguish the blaze or limit its spread.

The ship and its cargo were entirely incinerated. No human casualties have been reported so far.

The incident highlights a complete lack of civil defense infrastructure and emergency readiness at the port, and the deteriorating basic services in the archipelago, despite the significant revenues generated from its tourism and fisheries sectors.

YPA