The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) confirmed a fire on an LPG tanker near the coast of Yemen, saying that all 24 Pakistanis and the crew on board are safe.
The foreign office spokesperson said the Pakistani Embassy immediately contacted Yemeni authorities. The embassy has kept the families of the crew continuously informed since the incident.
The fire occurred on September 17. The LPG tanker was sent back from the Yemeni port and is now sailing outside Yemeni waters.
Interior minister confirms release of LPG tanker, crew after attack near Yemen
Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi said an LPG tanker with 27 crew members—24 Pakistanis including Captain Mukhtar Akbar, two Sri Lankans and one Nepali—was attacked by an Israeli drone while docked at Ras al-Esa port, controlled by the Houthis, on 17 September 2025.
One LPG tank exploded but the crew succeeded in putting out the fire. The vessel was then stopped by Houthi boats, and the crew taken hostage aboard the ship.
The minister expressed his gratitude to Secretary Interior Khurram Agha, other Ministry of Interior officers, Ambassador Naveed Bokhari and his team in Oman, colleagues in Saudi Arabia, and security officials who worked tirelessly to secure the safe release of the crew.
He confirmed that the tanker and its crew have now been released by the Houthis and have left Yemeni waters.
‘Pakistan Hamesha Zindabad,’ he concluded.
