By Neil Jerome Morales and Jonathan Saul
MANILA/LONDON (Reuters) -The crew of a Greek-owned vessel Tutor that was damaged in an attack by Yemeni Houthi militants in the Red Sea should be rescued within the day although one sailor is still missing, the Philippines said on Friday.
The attack near the Yemeni port of Hodeidah on Wednesday caused severe flooding and damage to the engine room and left the Tutor, a Liberia-flagged coal carrier, unable to manouvre. It was taking in water and was in need of rescue.
Iran-aligned Houthis claimed responsibility for the missile attack on the Tutor and on other vessels, including MV Verbena in the Gulf of Aden, over the past days.
The Houthis have made repeated drone and missile strikes on ships in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden since November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war.
The 22 crew members on board the Tutor are mostly Filipino, Hans Cacdac, the Philippines Department of Migrant Workers Secretary, told a press conference in Manila.
“Rescue is forthcoming within the day,” he said, adding that he could not disclose further information for security reasons.
Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr said the country’s authorities were coordinating with the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) to take the crew members to Djibouti and bring them back home.
The missing crew member was believed to be trapped in the engine room, maritime sources said. The rest of the crew were “safe and sound” and had adequate food supplies, Cacdac said, citing the captain.
“Right now, we are still in the process of trying to ascertain or trying to account for the particular seafarer in that ship. We are praying we could find him,” Cacdac said.
The ship’s Athens-based manager Evalend Shipping has not responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.
The Houthi campaign in the Red Sea region has disrupted global shipping, cascading delays and costs through supply chains. The militants have sunk one ship, seized another vessel and killed three seafarers in separate attacks.
Thursday’s attack against the Verbena, which sparked a fire and damaged the ship, marked their second direct hit on a merchant ship in two days following Tutor.
The attacks prompted the UKMTO to assess that Houthis’ targeting tactics may have changed since most companies have rerouted their vessels around the bottom of Africa.
It said they appeared to have expanded their scope targeting companies with a fleet that may have called at an Israeli port since early May.
“Any vessel within a company structure meeting this broader criteria and operating in the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden could be at risk,” the UKMTO said.
INTERCARGO, which represents dry cargo ship owners, urged states to enhance maritime security in the area.
“We demand that all involved parties cease their deliberate and targeted attacks on innocent seafarers with immediate effect,” it said.
InterManager, which represents the ship management sector, also called on governments to do more.
“Commercial ships and innocent seafarers must be allowed safe passage as they go about their regular business of carrying trade across the globe,” it said.