Damietta port attack: Egypt rules out accident, says drone strike caused fire aboard 2 gas vessels

Egypt on Thursday confirmed that the fire which broke out aboard two gas vessels at the Mediterranean port of Damietta was triggered by a drone strike, ruling out the possibility of an accidental blaze for the first time.

According to Reuters, in a statement, the Egyptian cabinet said investigations were ongoing to determine who was behind the attack. It added that no group had claimed responsibility and that authorities were taking all necessary steps to safeguard the country’s national security.

The confirmation followed an earlier assessment by British maritime security firm Ambrey, which said on Wednesday that a drone had struck a US-owned gas storage tanker docked at the port, raising fears that the conflict in the Middle East could widen further.

According to three trading sources familiar with the incident, the drone hit the floating storage tanker Energos Winter, sparking a fire that later spread to another vessel, Gaslog Salem.

British maritime risk management group Vanguard said the Energos Winter was hit on its starboard side by an unidentified projectile. The impact ignited a fire, which was later brought under control.

Regional tensions continue to escalate

Responsibility for the strike remains unknown. The incident came shortly after Iran launched missiles at US forces in Jordan, while Washington and Saudi Arabia carried out strikes on Iran-backed paramilitary groups in Iraq.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump warned of retaliation against Iran, and Yemen’s Houthi group announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, signalling a further escalation of the regional conflict that has expanded since the US and Israel began bombing Iran in February.

Footage from Damietta port

Reuters verified the location of the incident using a video shared on social media. The news agency matched visible port infrastructure, storage tanks and ship-tracking data with archived and satellite imagery to confirm the footage was from Damietta port.

The Energos Winter is a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) capable of storing 138,250 cubic metres of liquefied natural gas. The vessel is owned by US-based Energos Infrastructure, while its technical, safety and commercial operations are handled by Wilhelmsen Ship Management, a Singapore-based subsidiary of Norway’s Wilhelmsen Group.

No casualties reported after fire contained

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Egypt’s petroleum ministry said emergency responders and security personnel quickly brought the fires at Damietta port under control. The ministry said no injuries or deaths were reported. It added that Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi visited the site to supervise the emergency response operations.