The Kamsarmax bulker “Tutor” was hit by an attack by the Yemeni Houthi on 12 June. As was announced now, the ship is highly likely to have sunk.
The 82,000 tdw Liberian-flagged “Tutor” was hit by rockets and a remote-controlled boat loaded with explosives. As the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKTMO) reported in a safety update, “debris and oil were sighted at the ship’s last reported position.” She had been unable to manoeuvre for days.
One crew member still missing
According to the news agency Reuters, a member of the crew who was in the engine room of the “Tutor” at the time of the attacks is still missing.
The “Tutor” is the second ship to sink as a result of the Houthi attacks. The first was the British “Rubymar”, which sank on 2 March – two weeks after it was hit by rockets.
Houthi attacks on merchant ships
The UKTMO report on the suspected sinking of the “Tutor” comes a week after the Huthi attacked and severely damaged the ship as well as the Palauan-flagged mini-bulker “Verbena” (12,000 tdw).
The crew of the “Verbena” had to abandon the ship after a fire broke out on board as a result of the attacks and could no longer be contained. The “Verbena” was loaded with timber construction material. According to the latest information, it is now drifting in the Gulf of Aden and is also at risk of sinking or becoming the target of further attacks.
