One crew member of the Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht died after the vessel was attacked off Yemen last week, the shipping company said.
The fatal victim had Filipino nationality, a spokesman for shipping company Spliethoff told NIS. Two crew were injured in the attack. The injured crew member’s condition is stable, according to the shipping company, and the seafarer is expected to be discharged from the hospital this week. The nationality of the injured victim is not known.
The 19-member crew included Russians, Ukrainians, Filipinos and Sri Lankans. A helicopter disembarked the 19-member crew on Monday and all have since been returned home, Spliethoff said.
The 142-meter ship Minervagracht was hit by an “unknown explosive projectile” last week, after which the ship became adrift and caught fire, injuring two. The pair were treated on a nearby ship and later transferred to a hospital.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack on the freighter, which was flying a Dutch flag, saying they carried out the attack with a cruise missile. The Houthis said they had attacked the Minerva cargo because its owner “violated the entry ban for the ports of occupied Palestine.” It is unclear exactly what is meant by that.
Spliethoff called the crew “valued and respected seafarers” in a statement.
