A total of 25 crew were rescued from a 2,000 teu containership TSS Pearl which caught fire in the Red Sea after it sailed from Jeddah on 4 October.

Japanese shipowner NYK said pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) Orion Leader was sailing in the Red Sea to Jeddah from Laem Chabang, Thailand when it received a distress call for a containership on fire.

Orion Leader immediately headed to the area and at around 00:30 hrs local time on 6 October rescued eight seafarers from the burning containership by launching its own lifeboat.

Following instructions from the Rescue Coordination Center in Jeddah the Orion Leader then transferred the rescued crew to the bulk carrier St. Dimitrios, which also involved in the rescue operation.

The Orion Leader is managed by NYK Ship Management in Singapore.