FSO Safer is stranded in the Red Sea and may sink, with its 1.15 million barrels of crude oil -- "four times worse than Exxon Valdez".

For the past five years

there's been a stranded 

oil tanker in the Red Sea 

off Yemen's coast.

It is located near the 

terminal of Ras Isa 

in an area controlled 

by Houthi rebels. 

It is loaded with 

1.15 million barrels 

of crude oil.

It was deserted at sea 

after Yemen's Houthis 

seized the Japanese-made 

vessel from Yemen's 

government.

The tanker 
is 44-years old, 

rusting, with 
seawater leaking 

into the engine room, 
presenting an 

extreme danger 
of sinking and 
other issues. 

The FSO Safer 

reportedly 
contained 

a total of 

1,148,000 barrels 

of light crude oil.

The FSO Safer 

already has crude oil 

spillage into the sea.

It is in danger of sinking 

into the ocean, 
new reports say.

“Prevention of such a crisis 

from precipitating is really 

the only option,” 

Executive Director of the 

United Nations Environment 

Program Inger Andersen 

warned recently. 

“Despite the difficult 

operational context, 

no effort should be spared 

to first conduct a technical 

assessment and initial 

light repairs.”

The United Nations 

is now warning that 

the badly damaged 

oil tanker now

has damage 

considered to be 

"irreversible", 

after it hasn't 

been worked on

or maintained for 

over five years.

It is on the brink 

of an oil spill which 

"would be four times worse 

than Exxon Valdez" 

off Alaska in 1989, 

according to a UN official. 

Officials and environmentalists 

say it could possibly explode, 

releasing dangerous toxic gases 

into the air, due to gas leakage 

after lack of maintenance. 

A UN team is currently 

attempting to gain access 

to the site to inspect it 

and initiate whatever 

temporary light repairs 

are possible. 

For years the Houthis 

have blocked access 

to any international 

inspection teams. 

The threat of a disastrous spill, 

and the potential to damage 

the local local environment, 

has reportedly led to recent

permission to inspect the ship.

Any spill would force closure 

of the key Houthi-controlled 

port of Hodeida, a crucial 

economic gateway for the 

entire country of Yemen.