The Greek-owned coal transport ship Tutor, which was attacked last week by Yemeni Houthi militants in the Red Sea, has sunk, salvage crews confirmed on Wednesday.
According to sources including maritime security firms and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the Tutor ship was hit by missiles and a remote-controlled boat loaded with explosives on June 12 and had been taking on water since then.
UKMTO stated on Tuesday that the vessel was considered the second ship in the region to be sunk by Iran-affiliated Houthi militants since November last year.
The Houthi militants claimed that they attacked international shipping passing through the Red Sea into the Suez Canal in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
When two salvage ships were en route to recover the Tutor, they learned that the vessel might have already sunk, Andreas Tsavliris, one of the owners of salvage company Tsavliris, told Reuters.
Naval forces notified ships heading to the area on Tuesday afternoon that the Liberia-registered Tutor had sunk, and that there was debris and oil slick at the site.
"Therefore, we abandoned the mission," Tsavliris said.
The management company of the Athens-based ship, Evalend Shipping, did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.
The ship was carrying 22 crew members from the Philippines, who were evacuated by military authorities and repatriated on June 14.
According to the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers, one crew member who may have been in the engine room at the time of the attack is still missing.
