UK maritime body reports incident southeast of the Gulf of Aden after crew hears loud explosion

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) reported an incident on Wednesday, 5 August 2026 (14 Mordad 1405), 95 nautical miles southeast of Aden, Yemen. According to the report, the master of a vessel reported hearing a loud explosion in the vicinity of the ship.

UKMTO said all crew members were reported safe and that no environmental impact had been recorded so far. The identity of the vessel and the precise cause of the explosion were not specified in the notice.

The Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb strait have been the scene of several attacks on commercial vessels in recent months, and such incidents, alongside the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, remain among the main drivers of the risk premium in global oil prices and regional shipping insurance costs.