By Yannis Souliotis and Renee Maltezou
ATHENS (Reuters) – The Greek coal ship Tutor, which was attacked by Yemeni Houthi militants in the Red Sea last week, has sunk, salvage crews confirmed on Wednesday.
The Tutor was hit by missiles and an explosives-laden remote-controlled boat on June 12 and had taken on water, according to sources including maritime security companies and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The UKMTO said on Tuesday that the ship is believed to be the second ship sunk by Iran-aligned Houthis in the region since November.
The Houthis say their attacks on international shipping accessing the Suez Canal via the Red Sea are in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
Two salvage ships were on their way to recover the Tutor when they were told the ship had probably sunk, Andreas Tsavliris, one of Tsavliris’ owners, told Reuters.
Naval forces had informed ships sailing to the area on Tuesday afternoon that the Liberia-flagged Tutor had sunk and that debris and traces of oil were present at the site.
“That’s why we abandoned the mission,” Tsavliris said.
The ship’s Athens-based manager, Evalend Shipping, did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
The ship was carrying 22 crew members from the Philippines, who were evacuated and repatriated by military authorities on June 14.
One crew member, believed to be working in the engine room of the Tutor at the time of the attacks near the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, is still missing, the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers said.
The United Kingdom-owned Rubymar was the first ship sunk by the Houthis. It sank on March 2, about two weeks after being hit by missiles.
Last week, the Houthis also seriously damaged the Palau-flagged Verbena, which was loaded with wooden construction materials.
Sailors from the Verbena abandoned ship when they were unable to contain a fire caused by the attacks. The ship is now floating in the Gulf of Aden and is vulnerable to sinking or further attack.
The Houthi drone and missile attacks have forced shipping companies to divert ships from the Red Sea and Suez Canal to the longer route around the southern tip of Africa, delaying deliveries and increasing freight costs.
