Four Killed, 10 Rescued, 12 Missing After Houthis Sink Cargo Ship In Red Sea

Last Updated:July 10, 2025, 19:38 IST

Aspides, the EU's naval task force patrolling the Red Sea, said a total of 25 people were onboard the Liberian-flagged cargo ship named 'Eternity C'

Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Eternity C sinking after it was attacked by the Houthis in the Red Sea. (Image: ANSARULLAH MEDIA CENTRE/AFP)

Three Filipino crew and a Greek member of a cargo ship were killed, while 10 people were rescued after Houthis sank the vessel in the Red Sea in their second attack this week. Twelve people out of the 25 onboard, however, are missing, EU naval force said on Thursday.

The Eternity C ship’s onboard security team were plucked from the sea overnight, “bringing the total number of those rescued to 10", the European Union’s Operation Aspides force posted on X.

On Wednesday (July 9), the Houthis said they had “rescued" an unspecified number of the Eternity C’s crew and taken them to a safe location. The US embassy for Yemen, however, accused the rebels of kidnapping the survivors.

A total of 25 people were onboard the Liberian-flagged Eternity C, as per Aspides, the EU’s naval task force patrolling the Red Sea.

The deadly attack was the second such assault on a commercial vessel in recent days, marking a serious escalation in a key waterway and threatening a May truce with the United States meant to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The two consecutive incidents broke a months-long lull in Houthi ship attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which began after the start of the Gaza war.

The attacks, which the Houthis said are against Israel-linked shipping and in solidarity with the Palestinian cause, have forced many companies to avoid a route that normally carries about 12 percent of global trade.

The UN envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, expressed “grave concern" over the latest attacks that resulted in “civilian loss of life and casualties as well as the potential for environmental damage".

While the Magic Seas crew was rescued by an Emirati ship, the attack on the Eternity C is the most deadly since three were killed in a missile attack on the True Confidence merchant vessel in March last year.

(With agency inputs)

Yemen

News world Four Killed, 10 Rescued, 12 Missing After Houthis Sink Cargo Ship In Red Sea