GMM Safety | 2024-12-05 | Case Enviroment |

A cargo ship that ran aground off the coast of Egypt’s Red Sea last week has now sunk, raising serious concerns about the environmental impact on the region’s coral reefs.

The ship named VSG Glory started sinking on December 3 after being stranded near the city of Quseir for almost ten days.

The VSG Glory, a Comoros-flagged vessel, had been en route from Yemen to Egypt’s Port Tawfiq when it ran aground on November 22.

The ship was carrying 4,000 tons of bran, 70 tons of fuel oil, and 50 tons of diesel, along with some solar equipment. The ship suffered a 60-centimetre crack in its hull, which allowed seawater to flood its engine room.

Despite efforts to pump out the rising water, the worsening weather conditions caused the vessel to tilt and eventually sink.

By Monday, only the bow was visible above the waves, with the stern slipping off the reef into deeper waters

Fortunately, all 21 crew members were safely evacuated before the ship went down, and no fatalities have been reported.

However, the ship’s cargo and fuel remain a serious threat to the local environment. The region is known for its coral gardens and submerged caverns, which attract divers and tourists, making it a key part of the local economy.

Environmental groups have expressed concern that the fuel spill could cause lasting damage to the fragile marine ecosystem.

Local authorities, led by the Red Sea Governorate and the Ministry of Environment, have been working tirelessly to contain the spill.

Two large ships were brought to the site to pump out the fuel, and as of Saturday, 250 tons of contaminated water and fuel had been removed from the vessel. However, some fuel remains on board, leaking into the surrounding waters.

The situation has been complicated by strong winds and high waves, which have made it difficult to stabilise the ship.

Additional pumps have been deployed to try and remove the water, and divers were sent down in an attempt to seal the hull’s breach.