Drone Strike Suspected After Fire Erupts on Gas Tankers at Egypt's Damietta Port

A suspected drone strike sparked a fire aboard two liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta on Wednesday, according to maritime security sources.

British maritime security firm Ambrey said an initial assessment indicated that a drone struck the U.S.-owned floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Energos Winter, triggering a fire that spread to a nearby gas tanker, Gaslog Salem.

Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum confirmed that a fire broke out on a gasification vessel and a storage vessel at Damietta Port but did not confirm that a drone attack was responsible. The ministry said emergency response teams quickly brought the fire under control.

Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi visited the scene to oversee emergency operations. Authorities said there were no casualties or injuries, while technical teams continued to assess the extent of the damage.

Shipping company Inchcape also reported that two gas tankers caught fire at the port. Two security sources and maritime analysts believe the explosion was likely caused by a drone strike, although no group has claimed responsibility.

The Energos Winter has a storage capacity of approximately 138,250 cubic metres and is owned by U.S.-based Energos Infrastructure. Its technical and commercial operations are managed by Wilhelmsen Ship Management.

The incident raises fresh concerns over the possible expansion of regional tensions into vital energy infrastructure across the Eastern Mediterranean, although investigations into the cause of the fire are still ongoing.

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