At least four dead as Houthi attack sinks Red Sea ship

Four seafarers were rescued in the Red Sea yesterday two days after their cargo ship was sunk by Houthi militants, in an attack that killed at least four people.

- RACHEL CLUN JABED AHMED

But 11 people remain missing and several others have been kidnapped following the Yemeni group’s attack on the Greek ship Eternity C.

It is the second cargo ship sunk by the Houthi militia this week, shattering months of relative calm along a critical ocean route for global oil and commodities. The attack has sparked calls to restore safe passage through the sea.

Off the coast of Yemen, the ongoing rescue operation comes a day after the Houthis sank the Eternity C and said they were holding several of the missing crew members.

Ellie Shafik, head of intelligence with UK-based maritime risk management company Vanguard Tech, said the priority is the safety of all remaining crew members and their swift release. “We remain deeply concerned for the welfare of the crew members in the custody of the Houthis, as well as for those currently unaccounted for,” she said.

Six crew members were rescued on Wednesday after spending more than 24 hours in the water, security companies involved in a rescue operation said, taking the total number of rescued survivors to 10. That includes eight Filipino crew members, one Indian security guard and one Greek security guard.