UAE Cargo ship sinks off Iran coast, in reported rough weather. Sources say its Al Salmy 6.
An Emirati-flagged cargo ship sank Thursday off Iran in the Arabian Gulf in poor weather, authorities said, with rescuers attempting to account for all of its 30 crew members.
The vessel was some 30 miles off the coast of Asaluyeh, the state-run IRNA news agency reports. IRNA says Iranian rescuers are trying to reach the vessel, which it says had 30 crew.
Search and rescue crews encountered rough and windy conditions at sea, port authorities tell IRNA. Capt. Nizar Qaddoura, the operations manager of the Salem Al Makrani Cargo company, told The Associated Press that the Al Salmy 6 encountered rough and stormy weather, then capsized.
Rescuers had saved 16 crew members, the captain said. Another 11 had made it onto a life raft, while one person was saved by a nearby tanker. Two crew members were still in the water, he said.
Times of Israel reported that marine tracking data analysed by The Associated Press suggests the vessel was the roll-on roll-off cargo ship Al Salmy 6.
Images released by IRNA and Iranian state television match with the Al Salmy 6.
The US Navy’s 5th Fleet, which patrols in the Mideast, doesn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.