Kenya Defence Forces personnel rescued all 16 crew members from a Dubai-bound dhow that caught fire in the Indian Ocean off Somalia's coast. The incident occurred shortly after the vessel departed from Kismayo port. Survivors were handed over to local authorities for assistance.
On Wednesday, October 29, 2025, a wooden dhow carrying 16 crew members departed from the Port of Kismayo in Somalia, bound for Dubai. Approximately nine kilometres northeast of the port, the vessel burst into flames, prompting a distress call to nearby military units.
Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers from the Special Boat Unit (SBU), serving under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), were immediately deployed. In coordination with local boats, the SBU personnel executed a swift rescue operation, saving all 16 individuals on board. The survivors were later transferred to the Port Authority in Kismayo for further attention and medical assistance.
Images from the scene depicted the dhow's upper decks engulfed in thick smoke and fire, with the wooden structure exacerbating the blaze due to its flammability. In a statement released on Thursday, October 30, 2025, the KDF praised the operation as a demonstration of 'professionalism and readiness to handle emergencies, particularly in maritime crises.' It underscored the unit's commitment to 'safeguarding lives and supporting stability operations along the Somali and Kenyan coastlines.'
This incident echoes a recent maritime mishap on October 13, 2025, when Kenya Navy personnel rescued 19 people after a boat capsized during the East African Ocean Festival at Tudor Watersports in Mombasa County. In that event, three individuals were initially missing but their bodies were later recovered, with the injured receiving urgent care at Coast General Hospital.