EMIRATI-FLAGGED CARGO SHIP SINKS IN PERSIAN GULF OFF IRAN

An Emirati-flagged cargo ship sank Thursday off Iran in the Persian Gulf in poor weather, authorities said, with rescuers attempting to account for all of its 30 crew members.

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.

The crew consisted of nationals from Sudan, India, Pakistan, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia, Qaddoura said. The vessel had been on its way to Umm Qasr, Iraq, carrying cars and other cargo, he said.

The vessel was some 30 miles off the coast of Asaluyeh, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. IRNA said Iranian rescuers were trying to reach the vessel.

Images released by IRNA and Iranian state television matched with earlier images of the Al Salmy 6, a roll-on, roll-off vehicle carrier.

The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, which patrols in the Mideast, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Source: National News Agency