FILIPINO SEAMAN MISSING AMID MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT – DMW 

A FILIPINO seaman was reported missing amid the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

According to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) they have visited the family of the missing seaman and expressed hope that search and rescue operations will yield positive results.

DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said they are also monitoring around 6,300 Filipino seafarers on board the ships navigating high-risk areas in the Middle East.

The Pinoy seaman reportedly went missing after two missiles hit a tugboat in the Strait of Hormuz, which had come under attack since Iran blocked the strategic waterway in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes. 

The family of the 46-year-old seafarer said they were informed by AD Ports Group, the logistics company he works for, that he went missing after the missile attack on UAE-flagged tug Mussafah 2 on March 6. 

On Sunday Indonesia announced that a vessel whose characteristics and last known position matched those of the Mussafah 2 sank two days earlier.

Jakarta reported three Indonesian crew members missing, one Indonesian survivor injured, and four survivors of other nationalities.