Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac on Thursday confirmed that three more Filipino crew members of bulk carrier MV Eternity C were found safe, bringing the total number of rescued Filipino seafarers to eight.

Eight of the 21 Filipino crew of the ill-fated MV Eternity C were rescued as of Thursday, after the bulk carrier was attacked by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) remains hopeful that the remaining 13 still unaccounted Filipino seafarers are alive and safe with rescue operations ongoing.

The Department of Migrant Workers is working on verifying reports that Houthi forces may have kidnapped several crew members of MV Eternity C after attacking and sinking the vessel while traversing the Red Sea.

The Houthis have confirmed that they sank another ship, a day after releasing a video showing seizing and blowing up the Liberian-flagged vessel 'Magic Seas'. The militant group's naval forces attacked the 'Eternity C' while it was en route to Eilat port, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement.

The Houthis in Yemen sank their second ship in two days when a Liberian-flagged cargo ship, Eternity C, went down in the Red Sea early Wednesday morning.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed on Thursday that three of the 21 Filipino seafarers aboard the Liberian-flagged MV Eternity C died