Four killed and 14 missing after Houthi rebels attack second ship in Red Sea

Seven crew members of a cargo ship that sank in the Red Sea after an attack by Houthi forces have been rescued but at least four were killed and 14 others were still missing yesterday, according to security firms involved in the operation.

- William Christou

The seven seafarers from the cargo ship Eternity C spent more than 24 hours in the water before being rescued, the security firms said. Rescuers were still searching for missing crew members.

Eternity C was attacked on Monday afternoon with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speedboats by the Yemen-based Houthi militants, maritime security sources said. Two sources said yesterday that the vessel was attacked again on Tuesday night, forcing the crew to jump into the water.

There were fears some of the crew who jumped into the water may have been kidnapped.

The Houthi militants have claimed responsibility for the attack.

“The naval force of the Yemeni armed forces targeted the ship,” a Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and adding that the vessel had been heading towards the Israeli port of Eilat.

The group also claimed responsibility on Sunday for an attack targeting another vessel, the Magic Seas. All crew members were rescued before the vessel sank.