The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) assured that all 23 Filipinos onboard the oil tanker M/T Wind remain safe after an attack by Houthi rebels on Saturday, May 18, at the waters of the Red Sea.
"The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reports all 23 Filipino crewmen onboard a vessel attacked by Houthi rebels Saturday, 18 May 2024, are safe and unharmed," DMW said on Sunday, May 19, in a Facebook post.
"Their vessel which sustained slight damage was sailing close to the Yemeni port city of Hodeida when it was attacked. The vessel is continuing on its journey to its next port of call," the agency added.
DMW said that the department closely coordinates with international maritime authorities, shipping companies, and local manning agencies on the status of ships with Filipino seafarers traversing high-risk areas and war-like zones in the Red Sea and the Gulf Of Aden.
The United States Central Command (CentCom) reported that Iranian-backed Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic missile that struck M/T Wind at around 1:00 AM on Saturday.
CentCom said that the missile attack caused flooding at M/T Wind, which resulted in the loss of propulsion and steering.
"A coalition vessel immediately responded to the distress call by M/T Wind, but no assistance was needed," CentCom said in a statement.
CentCom assured that M/T Wind resumed its course after restoring the propulsion and steering of the vessel.
