Houthi attack forces crew to abandon coal carrier in Red Sea

Source: The Guardian

Houthi attack forces crew to abandon coal carrier in Red Sea

The strike on Tutor from Yemeni militants left the vessel unable to manoeuvre, while one crew member remains missing

Guardian staff and agencies
Sat 15 Jun 2024 02.28 BST
Last modified on Sat 15 Jun 2024 06.38 BST

The crew of a Greek-owned vessel damaged in an attack by Yemen’s Houthi militants has been evacuated and the abandoned ship is drifting in the Red Sea, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

One crew member from Tutor, the Liberia-flagged coal carrier, remains missing, officials in the Philippines said, after an attack near the Yemeni port of Hodeidah on Wednesday caused severe flooding and damage to the engine room, leaving the vessel unable to manoeuvre.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have claimed responsibility for the missile strike on Tutor and another vessel, Verbena, in the Gulf of Aden, over the past days. Their attacks also damaged two other ships in the past week, “marking a significant increase in effectiveness”, British security firm Ambrey said.

The Houthis have used drones and missiles to target ships in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden since November, in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war. They have sunk one ship, seized another vessel and killed three seafarers in separate attacks.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jun/15/houthi-attack-forces-crew-to-abandon-coal-carrier-in-red-sea