A cargo ship was hit by an explosive device near Yemen and caught fire, injuring two seafarers.
The Netherlands-flagged Minervagracht, a relatively small general cargo ship, is currently on fire in the Gulf of A
den, its manager Spliethoff said in a statement. Crew members are being evacuated to nearby ships, while those injured are receiving treatment.
The incident was reported earlier by the UK Maritime Trade Operations, which liaises between merchant shipping and the navy.
Minervagracht’s most recent signals before it was attacked. Source: Bloomberg
Yemen’s Houthi rebel group has been menacing shipping in the Red
Sea since 2023 over Israel’s war with Hamas. While the attacks have become less frequent in recent months, the group sank two cargo ships over the summer. Much
of the world’s merchant fleet continues to sail thousands of miles around Africa to avoid the area.
Last week, a French naval group said the ship may have been targeted by a ballistic missile, noting it had no li
nks with Israel. The ship’s most recent signal was on Sept. 26 at a port in Djibouti. It has capacity for about 700 containers and was built in 2011.
The cargo insurance business is led by Chris Wittoeck, head of
Cargo, DUAL Europe, who brings over 25 years of experience in marine cargo underwriting.
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Throughout his career, Witteock has held senior positions at Jean Verheyen (AXA Group), 24Vision Insurance Solutions
, Groupe Eyssautier, AMLIN, and AXA Corporate Solutions. He currently serves as chair of the Cargo Committee of the
Belgian Association for Marine Insurers and is an active contributor to the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI).
Wittoeck will be supported by a team of experienced underwriters, including Marc Stoopman, lead underwriter Cargo, DUAL Benelux.
Stoopman is a seasoned marine, cargo, and logistics insurance specialist with 30 years’ experience. He has
held senior roles at TenneT, Marsh (where he led the Marine, Cargo & Logistics department in the Netherlands), Starr Und
erwriting Agents (Lloyd’s), and Overvliet Assurantiemakelaars.
His background spans both underwriting and broking, with a focus on complex sectors such as offshore contracting, shipbuilding, and logistics. Additional profes
sionals will join the team in the coming months, starting with Germany and then expanding to other European market
s. Their combined experience and international perspective will for
m a solid foundation for DUAL’s pan-European cargo proposition.
Cargo claims will initially be handled by Femke Nollet, head of Claims, DUAL Benelux, while a dedicated cargo claims team is being established.
DUAL Europe’s Cargo Insurance is designed to meet the evolving needs of brokers and their clients through comprehensive, tailor-made cover. It offers all risks p
lus cargo-related extensions, such as Waterborne War Worldwide, and provides protection for tr
aders, producers, manufacturers, exporters, importers, road carriers, and freight forwarders. The offer also includes cargo property and liability protection, sto
ck and transit coverage, and acceptance of all cargo types, from soft and hard commodities to general and project cargo. Both lead and follow lines underwriting are available.