logo
Rescuers save four more seafarers from Houthi-struck ship in Red Sea, 11 still missing

Rescuers save four more seafarers from Houthi-struck ship in Red Sea, 11 still missing

Straits Times10-07-2025
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Crew members said to be from the cargo ship Eternity C are seen during a rescue operation, off Yemen, on July 9.
ATHENS/LONDON - Rescuers pulled three more crew members and a security guard alive from the Red Sea on July 10, maritime security sources said, a day after Houthi militants sank the Greek ship Eternity C and said they were holding some of the crew still missing.
It was
the second Greek bulk carrier sunk this week by the Iran-aligned Houthi militia, shattering months of relative calm off Yemen's coast, the gateway to the Red Sea and a critical route for oil and commodities to the world.
Many shipping companies have suspended voyages due to the fear of attack.
The Houthis are believed to be holding six of the Eternity C's complement of 22 crew and three guards, maritime security sources said.
'These are blameless victims who were simply doing their job,' the UK-based Seafarers' Charity association said.
'Seafarers should be able to work safely at sea. Instead, they are being unfairly forced into the firing line.'
Eternity C was first hit on July 7 with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats.
Four people are believed to have been killed in the attacks, maritime security sources say.
If confirmed, the deaths would be the first fatalities in the area since June 2024.
Following a second attack on the morning of July 8, the crew were forced to jump into the water. Rescuers have been searching for survivors since the morning of July 9.
The vessel's operator, Cosmoship Management, has not responded to Reuters' requests for comment.
A total of 10 survivors from the Eternity C have been rescued so far - eight Filipino crew members, one Indian and one Greek security guard.
The four people rescued on July 10 had spent nearly 48 hours in the water.
'This fills us with more courage to continue to search for those missing, as the Greek vessel operator requested, and shows that our search plan was correct,' said Mr Nikos Georgopoulos, an official at the Greece-based maritime risk firm Diaplous.
Another 11 people are still missing.
A vessel said to be the Eternity C sinks in the Red Sea, in video footage released by Yemen's Houthis on July 9.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The United States' Mission in Yemen has accused the Houthis of kidnapping crew members and has called for their immediate, unconditional release.
On July 9, the Houthis' military spokesperson said in a televised address that the Yemeni navy had 'responded to rescue a number of the ship's crew, provide them with medical care, and transport them to a safe location'.
Fraught passage
The Eternity C sank on July 9, days after
Houthis hit and sunk the Magic Seas, reviving a campaign launched in November 2023 that has seen more than 100 ships attacked in what the group said was solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza war.
Both of the vessels hit this week flew Liberian flags and were operated by Greek companies. All crew from the Magic Seas were rescued before it went down.
Some of their sister vessels in the respective fleets had made calls to Israeli ports in the past year, an analysis of shipping data showed.
Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi reiterated in a televised address on July 10 the group's ban on companies transporting goods related to Israel through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
He said this week's attacks were part of that ban, which has been in place since 2023.
'It was never stopped or cancelled, and it is a valid decision,' he said. 'What was discovered (this week) was the violation by some companies of the decision.'
The Eternity C was first hit on July 7 with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The insurance cost of shipping goods through the Red Sea has more than doubled since this week's attacks, with some underwriters pausing cover for some voyages, industry sources said on July 10.
The number of daily sailings through the narrow Bab al-Mandab strait, at the southern tip of the Red Sea and a gateway to the Gulf of Aden, was 32 vessels on July 9, down from 43 on July 1, Lloyd's List Intelligence data showed.
Several ships on July 10 broadcast messages referring to Chinese crew and management or armed guards on board, according to MarineTraffic data.
One vessel broadcast that it had no relation with Israel. REUTERS
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Three people killed in train crash in Germany, police say
Three people killed in train crash in Germany, police say

Straits Times

time3 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Three people killed in train crash in Germany, police say

Find out what's new on ST website and app. Three people were killed and others seriously injured when a passenger train derailed in southwestern Germany on Sunday, police said in a statement. There were around 100 people on board, police in the city of Stuttgart said, adding that two carriages had left the tracks between the towns of Riedlingen and Munderkingen. The train was on a roughly 90 km (55 mile) route between Sigmaringen and Ulm, a police spokesperson said earlier on Sunday. The cause of the crash was under investigation, the police statement said. A picture by German news agency DPA showed carriages largely intact but jackknifed into each other and rolled onto their sides. REUTERS

Several killed in train crash in Germany, media say
Several killed in train crash in Germany, media say

Straits Times

time4 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Several killed in train crash in Germany, media say

Find out what's new on ST website and app. Rescue forces work at the site of a derailed train near Riedlingen near Biberach, on July 27. RIEDLINGEN - At least three people were injured when a regional train carrying about 100 passengers derailed in southwestern Germany on Sunday, police said. German media reported that several people had been killed. 'The accident occurred at around 6:10 pm (1710 GMT) near the town of Riedlingen in Baden-Wuerttemberg state,' a police spokesperson told AFP. 'At least three people were injured,' the spokesperson added, without elaborating on the severity of the injuries. According to German daily Bild, the passenger train was travelling from the German town of Sigmaringen to the city of Ulm when at least two train carriages derailed in a wooded area. Footage from the scene of the accident showed yellow-and-grey-coloured train carriages lying on their sides, as firefighters and emergency services were trying to gain access to the passengers. It was not immediately clear what had caused the accident. AFP Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Sewage shaft failure linked to sinkhole; PUB calling safety time-out on similar works islandwide Singapore Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole did not happen overnight: Experts Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Asia Singapore-only car washes will get business licences revoked, says Johor govt World Food airdropped into Gaza as Israel opens aid routes Sport Arsenal beat Newcastle in five-goal thriller to bring Singapore Festival of Football to a close Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021

Ukrainian drones target St Petersburg as Putin attends scaled-down Navy Day
Ukrainian drones target St Petersburg as Putin attends scaled-down Navy Day

Straits Times

time10 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Ukrainian drones target St Petersburg as Putin attends scaled-down Navy Day

Find out what's new on ST website and app. Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen onboard a Raptor patrol boat on Russia's Navy Day in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 27, 2025. Sputnik/Alexei Danichev/Pool via REUTERS MOSCOW - Ukrainian drones targeted St. Petersburg on Sunday, Russian authorities said, forcing the airport to close for five hours as Vladimir Putin marked Russia's Navy Day in the city, despite the earlier cancellation of its naval parade due to security concerns. St. Petersburg usually holds a large-scale, televised navy parade on Navy Day, which features a flotilla of warships and military vessels sailing down the Neva River and is attended by Putin. Last year, Russia suspected a Ukrainian plan to attack the city's parade, according to state television. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Sunday that this year's parade had been cancelled for security reasons, following first reports of its cancellation in early July. Putin arrived at the city's historic naval headquarters on Sunday by patrol speed boat, from where he followed drills involving more than 150 vessels and 15,000 military personnel in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans and Baltic and Caspian Seas. "Today we are marking this holiday in a working setting, we are inspecting the combat readiness of the fleet," Putin said in a video address. The Russian Defence Ministry said air defence units downed a total of 291 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones on Sunday, below a record 524 drones downed in attacks on May 7, ahead of Russia's Victory Day parade on May 9. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole did not happen overnight: Experts Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Singapore Car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road South sinkhole removed; road remains closed for repairs Asia Singapore-only car washes will get business licences revoked, says Johor govt Sport Arsenal beat Newcastle in five-goal thriller to bring Singapore Festival of Football to a close Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Singapore For Singapore to do well, PAP govt has to continue to hold its own: SM Lee Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021 Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the Leningrad region surrounding St. Petersburg, said that over ten drones were downed over the area, and falling debris injured a woman. At 0840 GMT on Sunday Drozdenko said that the attack was repelled. St. Petersburg's Pulkovo airport was closed during the attack, with 57 flights delayed and 22 diverted to other airports, according to a statement. Pulkovo resumed operations later on Sunday. Russian blogger Alexander Yunashev, part of an official group of reporters travelling with Peskov, said Peskov had told him their flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg had been delayed by the drone attack for 2 hours on Sunday. REUTERS

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store