Captain Flouris: The battle with the flames on the tanker 'Sounio'

Captain Dimitris Flouris described the dramatic extinguishing operation on the tanker 'Sounio', which had been hit by the Houthis and had 16 outbreaks of fire.

In an interview on the sidelines of the 1st Conference of the Hellenic Association of Tug Owners, Salvage, Anti-pollution and Offshore Installation Support Vessels (EEPRNAYE), Captain Flouris spoke about the difficulties of the operation, which lasted 1.5 months.

The 'Sounio' was carrying one million barrels of oil and had been hit by the Houthis with explosives, causing a fire in 16 places. The initial plan was to approach the burning tanker and tow it away from the Houthi area. More than 50 people participated in the operation, with the assistance of tugs, support vessels and warships, including the frigate 'Psara'.

Captain Flouris stressed the risk of generalized inflammation and the implementation of continuous cooling protocols. The extinguishing of the 16 outbreaks was done gradually, with meetings and planning. He has special training for such operations and has been serving on tugs since 2008. There were moments of agony when explosions were heard from the tanker.

The Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Vasilis Kikilias, awarded Captain Flouris and the crew of 'Aigaion Pelagos' for the successful outcome of the operation. The tanker had been first attacked by the Houthis on August 21, 2024, while anchored 72 nautical miles west of Hodeidah, Yemen.

After extinguishing, the openings were sealed and the fuel tanks were inerted so that the oil could be safely transferred to another ship.