An Iranian search and rescue operation is underway for crewmembers of a United Arab Emirates-flagged roll on-roll off car transporter that sank 48 km off the Iranian Persian Gulf coastal city of Asalouyeh on Thursday.
The ship involved was the Al Salmy 6, a 39-year-old ro-ro that was sailing to the port of Um Qasr Port, Iraq before capsizing and sinking due to rough weather.
The Salem Al Makrani Cargo Company confirmed that one of its ships had been lost at sea, and that Iranian rescuers had been deployed to save the crew. The company’s operations manager said 16 crew were saved, with 11 more making it to a life raft, and one other person saved by a tanker nearby. Two crew members were said to have been in the water as of 13:30 pm Tehran time.
The Al Salmy 6’s crew consists of Sudanese, Indian, Pakistani, Ugandan, Tanzanian and Ethiopian nationals.
Hojjat Khosravi, a local Iranian maritime protection office chief, told IRNA that the search and rescue party included the Assaluyeh vessel as well as two evacuator vessels. Poor whether conditions prevented the rescue party from arriving before the ship sank. A request was made for helicopter support.
Iranian media have published amateur footage of the cargo ship careening dangerously to one side before sinking.