Indian Cargo Ship Sinks Off Oman
An Indian cargo ship loaded with vehicles and food supplies destined for Yemen sank on Saturday off the coast of Oman but without loss of life, Oman’s ONA state news agency reported.
The ship, heading to Yemen's Al Mukalla port after it was loaded in Sharjah in the UAE, sunk off the coast of Jalan Bani Bu Ali province.
Omani fishermen and police rescued all 11 crew on board.
The vessel was carrying 69 vehicles, foodstuff, tyres and engine oils. The vessel sank due to damages caused by overloading, Gulf News reported.
Times of Oman reported the captain as saying: “At around 2am, our cargo vessel was hit by something while sailing. As it was dark, we couldn’t check what it was. Waited until early morning. At around 5am, two of our crew took a dive into water to check what has happened. But by then, the situation went out of control. The water was entering the vessel.”
After they found that they can’t fix the vessel, they took safety boats and waited for the rescue.
The port of Mukalla was liberated from Al Qaeda by Yemeni troops backed by the Saudi-led coalition, which is also fighting to restore Yemen’s internationally recognised president to power after he was overthrown by Houthi rebels and their allies.