Saudi Arabia’s Border Guards rescue ship's crew in Red Sea

All 25 taken to Jizan Port after tanker caught fire

Saudi Arabia’s Border Guards rescued the crew of a Panama-flagged commercial container tanker that caught fire while sailing in the Red Sea. All photos: SPA

The Border Guards managed to rescue the 25 crew members of the 'TSS Pearl', who were taken to the port of Jizan.

Border guard personnel initially received a distress call from the Panamanian ship, informing them of a fire on board.

The incident took place about 123 nautical miles north-west of Jizan.

Saudi Arabia’s Border Guards have rescued the crew of a Panama-flagged commercial container tanker that caught fire in the Red Sea.

The incident occurred about 123 nautical miles north-west of Jizan Port, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The TSS Pearl left Jeddah on October 4 and was en route to Aden when fire broke out.

The Jeddah Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JMRCC) received a distress call from the ship, informing them of the fire on board and the vessel's location. The information was then passed on to the command-and-control centre in Jizan and other relevant authorities, Col Misfir Al Qarini, official spokesman for the Border Guards, told SPA.

The team rescued the 25 crew members of various nationalities and all were taken to Jizan Port, SPA reported.

They received medical treatment from co-ordinated authorities which included border guards, health affairs, the Red Crescent and civil defence.

The TSS Pearl - a container Ship sailing under the flag of Panama - departed from Jeddah on October 4 and was en route to Aden, Yemen, before the fire broke out.