‘External Source’ Causes Oil Tanker Blast off Saudi Arabia

‘External Source’ Causes Oil Tanker Blast off Saudi Arabia

An oil tanker off Saudi Arabia's port city of Jiddah suffered an explosion early Monday after being hit by "an external source," a shipping company said, suggesting another vessel has come under attack off the kingdom amid its yearslong war in Yemen.

The Singapore-flagged BW Rhine saw all 22 sailors on board escape without injury, the BW Group said in a statement. The company warned it was possible some oil leaked out from the site of the blast.

Saudi Arabia did not immediately acknowledge the blast, which struck off a crucial port and distribution center for its oil trade. Last month, a mine damaged another tanker off Saudi Arabia in an attack that authorities blamed on Yemen's Houthi rebels.

The United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations, an organization under Britain's royal navy, urged ships in the area to exercise caution and said investigations were ongoing.

Dryad Global, a maritime intelligence firm, also reported the blast. No one immediately offered a cause.

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which patrols the Mideast, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The explosion comes after a mine exploded and damaged a ship off Saudi Arabia last month. Another mysterious attack targeted a cargo ship off the