Egypt's Damietta Port Rocked by Suspected Drone Strike

An explosion rocked Egypt's Damietta Port on Wednesday evening after a fire broke out at the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal during cargo discharge operations. The incident, which was likely caused by a drone strike, occurred while the crew of the U.S.-owned floating gas storage tanker Energos Winter was safely evacuating. According to maritime security firm Ambrey, their initial assessment found that a drone struck the tanker.

The fire quickly spread to another vessel, Gaslog Salem, before being brought under control by emergency responders. Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi traveled to the site to oversee the response and monitor ongoing safety measures. 'The situation was handled immediately in accordance with emergency and rapid response plans,' a ministry statement read.

Local authorities confirmed that the situation had been brought under control, and the affected vessels were safely moved outside the port area. Operations at other berths and terminals are expected to resume overnight, according to Inchcape Shipping Services.