Rescuers have pulled six crew members alive from the Red Sea after Houthi militants sank a second cargo vessel this week, while the fate of another 15 seafarers remains uncertain.
The Iran-aligned group has claimed responsibility for the attack and says it is holding some of the surviving crew - although this has not been verified.
The Houthis said they were behind the assault that maritime officials confirm killed four out of 25 people onboard the Liberian-flagged Eternity C. The Greek owned ship sank early Wednesday following consecutive attacks over the preceding two days, according to security companies involved in the ongoing rescue efforts.
The six rescued crew members were adrift in the water for more than 24 hours, according to those firms.
The U.S. Mission in Yemen accused the Houthis of abducting several surviving crew members and demanded their immediate, unconditional release.
A spokesperson for the Houthi military said on television that the Yemeni Navy had intervened to rescue some crew members, administer medical treatment, and relocate them to safety.
The Houthis also published a video they claim shows their strike on Eternity C, including what appears to be a Yemeni naval broadcast urging the crew to evacuate from the vessel, and visuals of explosions before the vessel sank. While Reuters confirmed the ship shown was Eternity C, it could not verify the audio or exact location.
Earlier in the week, the Houthis claimed a similar attack on another vessel, the Magic Seas, from which all crew were safely evacuated before the ship went down.
These latest assaults mark a renewed campaign by the Houthis, who targeted more than a 100 vessels between November 2023 and December 2024, citing support for Palestinians in Gaza. In May, the U.S. reportedly reached a deal with the Houthis to halt airstrikes in exchange for an end to maritime attacks though the Houthis later stated Israel-bound ships were not exempt.
Leading global shipping bodies, including the International Chamber of Shipping and BIMCO, condemned the deadly attacks in a joint statement, urging stronger international measures to ensure maritime safety.
“These vessels were attacked with blatant disregard for the lives of innocent crew members,” the statement read.
“This tragedy highlights the urgent need for robust international support to protect shipping and secure critical sea routes.”
Ongoing Search Efforts
Both Eternity C and Magic Seas flew the Liberian flag and were operated by Greek companies. Shipping data indicates that sister ships in their fleets had visited Israeli ports within the past year.
“We’ll keep searching for the missing crew until sunset,” said a spokesperson for Diaplous, a Greece-based maritime risk firm.
The European Union’s Aspides naval mission, which monitors Red Sea maritime activity, confirmed the recovery of six survivors from the sea.
The Red Sea remains a vital route for global oil and cargo shipments, but vessel traffic has sharply declined due to the rise in Houthi attacks. According to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, daily sailings through the Bab al-Mandab Strait fell from 43 on 1 July to just 30 by 8 July.
Oil prices climbed on Wednesday, reaching their highest levels since 23 June, partly driven by the threat to shipping in the region.
Repeated Attacks
According to maritime security sources, Eternity C was first targeted on Monday by sea drones and grenades launched from speedboats. Lifeboats were destroyed during the initial strike. By Tuesday morning, the ship was listing and adrift.
Two sources told Reuters that sea drones struck the vessel again on Tuesday, prompting the 22 crew and onboard three security personnel to abandon ship. The Houthis reportedly remained with the stricken vessel until early Wednesday.
Rescue efforts were hampered by the presence of skiffs (small light boats) in the area.
The crew included 21 Filipinos and one Russian, along with three armed guards—one Indian and one Greek among them. The Indian guard was among those rescued.
The vessel's operator, Cosmoship Management, has yet to confirm the reported casualties or provide further details. If verified, the four fatalities would be the first deadly incident from Red Sea shipping attacks since June 2024.
Greece is reportedly engaging in discussions with Saudi Arabia, a regional power, regarding the incident.
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