Alappuzha: A Malayali aboard the MV Eternity C cargo ship, which sank following an attack by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea on July 7, has been reported missing.

Anilkumar Raveendran (52), hailing from Pathiyoor in Kayamkulam, is one of the 12 crew members who have gone missing since what is being described as the most serious Houthi assault on the maritime trade route.

The family were informed of his disappearance by the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, ten days after the attack.

A retired Army officer, Anilkumar has been working in the Merchant Navy for the past five years. He had started work on February 22, after securing the job through an agency in Palakkad.

He last contacted his family on July 6, informing them that the vessel was headed towards the Red Sea.

The ex-officer’s family are desperate for any information about his whereabouts, having lost all contact with him.

Anilkumar’s wife, Sreeja, has sent a letter to Alappuzha MP K.C. Venugopal and the Union government, seeking assistance.

Only other Indian aboard the ship rescued

The only other Indian aboard the ship, Augustine Dassayan from Thiruvananthapuram, was among ten crew members rescued by the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR), according to media reports. He was working as a security guard on the vessel.

The Indian Embassy on Tuesday expressed gratitude to the Saudi authorities for rescuing the Indian national.

The UN Security Council on Tuesday demanded the release of all crew members kidnapped from Eternity C.

The Liberian-flagged cargo ship was reportedly en route to the Israeli port of Eilat when it was attacked. The ship had 22 crew members on board, including nationals from the Philippines, Russia and Greece. Four crew members were killed in the assault.

According to media reports, the Greek operator of the vessel, Cosmoship Management, confirmed that ten crew members have been rescued so far, while ten others remain missing.

The Eternity C was the second Greek-owned ship to be attacked and sunk by the Iran-backed Houthis last week. The attack is part of the group’s continuing attempts to disrupt global shipping through the Red Sea, a crucial trade route for oil and other commodities.

(With ANI inputs)