Dutch shipping group Spliethoff has confirmed the death of one of its seafarers who was critically injured when the general cargo ship Minervagracht was hit by a Houthi missile in the Gulf of Aden in September.
The crewmember died in a hospital in Djibouti after being airlifted from the vessel by French forces. Spliethoff said it was providing support to the family and the remaining crew. Another injured seafarer remains under medical care in Djibouti but is reported to be in stable condition and expected to return home shortly.
The company said most of the 19 crew — made up of Russian, Ukrainian, Filipino, and Sri Lankan nationals — have now been repatriated.
“The events of last week have left a profound impact on everyone at Spliethoff,” the company said in a release, adding: “Today’s news has deeply saddened everyone at the company, as we mourn the loss of a respected and valued seafarer.”
The missile strike set fire to the accommodation block, forcing the crew to abandon ship. They were evacuated from the burning vessel by warships from the EU’s Operation Aspides. The Minervagracht was eastbound from Djibouti in international waters at the time of the attack.
Houthi forces later claimed responsibility, saying they targeted the Dutch-flagged vessel because the company had ships calling at Israeli ports. The ship had also come under fire six days earlier before taking shelter at Djibouti’s Doraleh anchorage.
Spliethoff said it is working with international authorities and salvage experts to secure the vessel, which was left adrift and reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) as a navigational hazard.
The seafarer’s death is the first fatality linked to Houthi attacks since July, when four crew members were killed and five others went missing after the Greek-operated bulk carrier Eternity C was struck and sunk in the Red Sea.
