Freighter Runs Aground on Egypt's Red Sea Riviera, Spilling Fuel

On Friday, a coastal freighter ran aground on a reef off El Quseir on the Red Sea coast of Egypt, spilling an unknown quantity of fuel.

The 300-foot coastal freighter VSG Glory was under way on a slow voyage from the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah, Yemen to Port Tawfiq, Egypt, carrying 70 tonnes of fuel oil in her tanks. AIS data shows that she had been loitering in the Red Sea for more than a month, rarely making more than three knots and often doubling back on her course.  

Courtesy Pole Star

On Friday, after another low-speed dogleg just offshore, she drifted west and ran aground on a reef north of Al-Quseer (El Qosier), an ancient city and tourism destination on Egypt's Red Sea Riviera. The area is known for its near-shore diving attractions, including coral gardens and submerged caverns.  

According to Al Jazeera, all 21 crewmembers were safely evacuated. Local environmental conservation group HECLA reports that the vessel suffered flooding in way of the engine room, and photos from the scene show that the stern is low in the water.

Courtesy HECLA

Courtesy HECLA

The location of the grounding is right off the shore of two upscale resorts, and the spill lightly contaminated the beach.  First responders have installed about 600 feet of pollution control boom around the stricken vessel, HECLA reported.

VSG Glory is an 8,000 tonne freighter built in 1994, and her owners have used the Comoros flag registry since August 2023. She is owned and operated by a company in Basrah, Iraq, and has accumulated multiple deficiencies at every port state control inspection since 2019 (and more than 200 over her lifetime). Recently recorded issues include oil accumulation in the engine room, fire system maintenance, adequacy of food provisions, officer qualification documents, and various health-related issues in the accommodations.