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At least four people have been killed and several others have been kidnapped by Houthi militants who attacked and sank a second cargo ship in the Red Sea this week.
Six crew members were rescued after spending more than 24 hours in the water, security companies involved in a rescue operation said, while the fate of 15 other crew members remains unknown.
"We will continue to search for the remaining crew until the last light," said an official at Greece-based maritime risk management firm Diaplous.
The Iran-aligned Houthis said they are holding some of the seafarers, and claimed responsibility for the attacks on cargo ship Eternity C.
Eternity C was first attacked on Monday afternoon with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats by suspected Houthi militants, maritime security sources said. Lifeboats were destroyed during the raid.
By Tuesday morning the vessel was adrift and listing, before being attacked again which forced the crew to abandon it. The ship sank on Wednesday morning.
The United States Mission in Yemen accused the Houthis of kidnapping many surviving crew members from Eternity C and called for their immediate and unconditional safe release.
“After killing their shipmates, sinking their ship, and hampering rescue efforts, the Houthi terrorists have kidnapped many surviving crew members of the Eternity C,” the mission said on X.
“The Houthis continue to show the world why the United States was right to label them a terrorist organisation.”
The crew comprised of 21 Filipinos and one Russian. Three armed guards were also on board, including one Greek national and one Indian national, who was one of those rescued.
The Houthis released a video they said depicted their attack on Eternity C. It included sound of a Yemen naval forces' call for the crew to evacuate for rescue and showed explosions on the ship before it sank. The Independent could not verify the audio or the location of the ship.
"The Yemeni Navy responded to rescue a number of the ship's crew, provide them with medical care, and transport them to a safe location," the group's military spokesperson said in a televised address.
The Houthis also have claimed responsibility for a similar assault on Sunday targeting another ship, the Magic Seas. All crew from the Magic Seas were rescued before it sank.
The strikes on the two ships revive a campaign by the Iran-aligned fighters who had attacked more than 100 ships from November 2023 to December 2024 in what they said was solidarity with the Palestinians.
In May, the US announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel.
Leading shipping industry associations, including the International Chamber of Shipping and BIMCO, denounced the deadly operation and called for robust maritime security in the region via a joint statement on Wednesday.
"These vessels have been attacked with callous disregard for the lives of innocent civilian seafarers," they said.
"This tragedy illuminates the need for nations to maintain robust support in protecting shipping and vital sea lanes."
With additional reporting from Reuters
