A Vietnamese sailor killed in Houthi attack on merchant ship
VOV.VN - A Vietnamese national was among three crew members killed in a missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on a ship in the Gulf of Aden on March 6, confirmed the Vietnam Maritime Administration.
The other two crew members killed on board M/A True Confidence were Filipino citizens, VMA authorities learned after receiving news from the Hai Phong Marine Services and Trading Investment Company Limited (HP Marine).
HP Marine had previously signed a contract with a partner to send four Vietnamese sailors to work on the merchant ship.
The Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned ship was hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile when it was en route from Singapore to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).
About 20 sailors and three guards were working on board the ship. The missile attack left three dead and several other injured.
The survivors were taken to Djibouti, and among them three Vietnamese were safe, HP Marine reported.
Due to the unexpected attack, the crew members who escaped the ship were not able to bring any identification documents with them.
HP Marine said that after receiving the information, it notified the seafarers’ families and coordinated with relevant agencies to protect the rights of the seafarers and bring them home.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang on March 7 said the Foreign Ministry requested Vietnamese representative agencies in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt and Djibouti to work closely with local authorities, urgently take measures to protect citizens, and handle post-mortem issues for the deceased crew member to ensure legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese citizens.
“Vietnam strongly condemns violent and inhumane attacks against innocent civilians and civilian vehicles on international maritime routes. We request relevant parties to immediately stop using force and ensure security, safety and freedom for international maritime routes in accordance with international law,” said the spokesperson.
