The general cargo ship Anna sank in Mediterranean Sea about 50 nautical miles north-east off Misrata, Libya.
What happened?
The vessel, which was en route from Istanbul to Misrata, suffered crack in the hull of its cargo hold area and started getting water ingress.
The crew sent distress signal and requested immediate evacuation.
First to respond to the distress signal was Cosco Shipping’s vessel Da Ji, which was 12 nautical miles away from the troubled cargo ship. Immediate communications between the vessels were established and the rescue operation was initiated.
Ship abandoned:
The ten crew members on-board abandoned the sinking cargo ship Anna and escaped by a lifeboat. The vessel capsized several minutes later.
About an hour later, all the people were rescued and taken on board the Shipping vessel Da Ji.
There were no reports about injuries and all the people were transferred to shore.
Statement released:
In a statement released by Cosco Shipping, “By 0743 hours, the cargo ship sank at the position of 3248.9N, 01603.7E, and Da Ji’s crew hastened the rescue operations. Fortunately, the rescue operation was a success and by 0850 hours, all 10 crew members of Anna were saved and no injuries were sustained”.
The investigation to determine the root cause of the accident is under way. The vessel has several tons of heavy fuel on board, but there are no reports about water pollution.
The area is continuously monitored for any oil pollution.
Did you subscribe for our daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: Seatrade Maritime
