The Greek-operated cargo ship “Eternity C” sank in the Red Sea on Wednesday (July 9) after being attacked again, with rescue teams saving 7 crew members from the water and currently searching for the other 14 missing crew members. This is the second ship to be sunk in the Red Sea in two days, suspected to be the work of the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
According to reports from Reuters, a source from a security company involved in the rescue revealed that out of the 25 people on board the “Eternity C” cargo ship, 4 individuals perished before the rest of the crew abandoned ship. The ship was attacked on Monday and Tuesday before ultimately sinking on Wednesday morning.
Rescue personnel stated that the 7 rescued crew members had been floating in the water for over 24 hours.
The Houthi forces have not commented on the attack on the “Eternity C” ship, but the organization claimed responsibility for the attack on another cargo ship, the “Magic Seas,” on Sunday, which also sank. The “Magic Seas” was also operated by a Greek company, and all crew members were rescued before the ship sank.
The attacks on these two commercial ships mark a renewed offensive by the Iran-backed Houthi forces. The organization had attacked over a hundred vessels from November 2023 to December 2024, claiming it was in support of Palestinians in the Gaza conflict, but had halted attacks earlier this year.
An official from the Greek-based maritime risk management company Diaplous stated, “We will continue searching for the remaining crew members until nightfall.”
Both attacked ships were flying the Liberian flag and operated by two different Greek companies.
Several maritime security sources mentioned that on Monday afternoon, the “Eternity C” was first attacked by suspected Houthi forces using rocket-propelled grenades fired from unmanned drones and manned speedboats. The lifeboats were destroyed during the attack, and by Tuesday morning, the ship had gone out of control and started to tilt.
Two security sources told Reuters on Wednesday that the ship was attacked by unmanned drones again on Tuesday, leading the crew and armed guards onboard to abandon ship for survival. One of the sources mentioned that Houthi militants remained with the ship until early Wednesday.
The source added that there were concerns that some crew members who jumped into the water might have been kidnapped by the Houthi forces. Meanwhile, there were also small boats in the area as rescue efforts continued.
The crew included 21 Filipinos and one Russian. There were also three armed guards on board, including a Greek and an Indian, both of whom were rescued.
The ship’s operator, “Cosmoship Management,” has not responded to requests for comments to verify the status of the crew. If confirmed, the deaths of these 4 crew members would be the first fatalities in a maritime attack in the Red Sea region since June 2024.
According to sources, Greece has been in discussions with key countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, regarding the latest attack incident.
The Red Sea is a crucial passage for the transportation of world oil and commodities, passing along the coast of Yemen. Since the Houthi forces first launched attacks in the Red Sea in 2023, maritime traffic in the region has significantly decreased.
(This article is based on reports from Reuters)