Three more Filipino crew members of the Liberia-flagged cargo ship MV Eternity that sunk following a Houthi-rebel attack in the Red Sea have been rescued, brining the number of surviving Filipinos to eight.

However, search continued for more crew members who have were reported missing after Houthi rebels raided their ship.

Department of Migrant workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said three of Filipino crew members of the ship were killed.

“We received confirmed reports that rescuers found three more Filipino seafarers from MV Eternity C, “ said Cacdac on Thursday, July 10.

Cacdac disclosed in a press briefing that search for the remainder of the missing crew members continued, adding that he was aware of Houthi and the US government had announced that several seafarers were taken as hostages by the terrorists.

With 11 of the Filipino crew members accounted for, there remains 10 more Philippine citizens missing.

A Russian seaman was part of the 22-member crew of the ill-fated ship.

The license of the manning agency that recruited the crew members has been suspended after it failed to submit pertinent documents about the seafarers.

Legal action against the manning agency is also being contemplated by authorities.