Authorities said a huge cargo ship carrying cars sank on Thursday in the Persian Gulf amid treacherous waves.
The Al Salmy 6, a United Arab Emirates-flagged vessel, sank off the southern coast of Iran with 30 crew members on board. Iranian rescuers rescued 16 crew members and another 11 survivors boarded life rafts, Captain Nizar Kaddoura of Dubai-based Salem Al Makrani Cargo said.
Another person was pulled from rough seas by a nearby tanker, Kaddoura said, but two crew members were still at sea. Rescue work was carried out, but bad weather prevented them.
According to the Ports & Maritime Organization, the cargo ship, which is longer than a football field, capsized about 30 miles off the coast of Asaluy in Iran.
Photographs show the ship, which had set sail from Dubai a few days earlier, listing sharply on its side at a dangerous angle before sinking completely underwater. Its crew consists of citizens of Sudan, India, Pakistan, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia, Kaddura said.
Al Salmy 6 sank off the southern coast of Iran with 30 crew members on board. Iran Ports Authority/WANA/Handout via REUTERS
Iranian rescuers rescued 16 crew members, while another 11 survivors boarded life rafts. Iran Ports Authority/WANA/Handout via REUTERS
The cargo ship carried cars and was longer than a football field. Iran Ports Authority/WANA/Handout via REUTERS
The US Navy’s 5th Fleet, which patrols the Middle East, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to the Associated Press.
Severe weather hit the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, with wind gusts exceeding 40 mph and rough seas. Earlier this week, the Iranian Meteorological Organization issued a “red alert” warning of a possible impact on maritime activity on Saturday.
With mail wires