The search for missing crew members from the bulk carrier Eternity C, sunk by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, has been called off, with four confirmed dead and 11 still unaccounted for.
Private maritime security firms Ambrey and Diaplous Group, which led the recovery effort, announced the difficult decision after days of scouring the area.
The Eternity C, a Liberian-flagged vessel, came under sustained attack on July 7, enduring hours of bombardment from small arms fire and bomb-carrying drones before finally sinking.
Despite having a three-man private security team on board, the ship had not requested naval escort from either the U.S. Navy or the EU’s Operation Aspides, leaving it vulnerable to the assault.
Satellite images now reveal extensive oil slicks spreading from the wreckage of the Eternity C and another vessel, the Magic Seas, both targeted by the Iran-backed Houthis in their campaign against commercial shipping.
The rebels claim these attacks are in protest against Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The Eternity C’s crew consisted of 22 seafarers, 21 Filipinos and one Russian, along with three security personnel of Greek and Indian nationality.
Ten survivors were rescued, including eight Filipino crew members and two security guards, but the fate of the remaining 11 remains uncertain, with some feared kidnapped by the Houthis.
The sinking marks a grim escalation in the Red Sea crisis, disrupting one of the world’s busiest shipping routes and raising environmental concerns over the spreading oil pollution.
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cc: Daily Post Ng
