Salvagers abandon effort to tow burning Sounion oil tanker

Salvagers abandoned an effort to tow away a burning Greek-flagged oil tanker in the Red Sea targeted by Yemen's Houthi rebels as it "was not safe to proceed," a European Union naval mission has said.

The announcement by the EU's Operation Aspides leaves the Sounion stranded in the Red Sea, threatening to spill its 1 million barrels of oil.

"The private companies responsible for the salvage operation have concluded that the conditions were not met to conduct the towing operation and that it was not safe to proceed," the EU mission said, without immediately elaborating. "Alternative solutions are now being explored by the private companies."

The EU mission did not immediately respond to questions from the Associated Press about the announcement. The safety issue could be from the fire still burning aboard the vessel - NASA fire satellites detected a blaze in the...