In an unfortunate incident, a fishing vessel reportedly sank after colliding with a tanker.
What happened?
The “Gaz Century”, enroute from Alexandria to Marsaxlokk, was in collision with the Tunisian tanker “Hatem Kousai” on May 27, 2017, around 8 a.m. about 18 miles off Mazara del Vallo, Sicily.
3 dead, others rescued:
The fishing vessel sank on a water depth of 37 meters. Four crew members could be rescued and were taken on board the tanker, another man was found dead in the water in the afternoon. The bodies of two more were recovered from the wreck off Tre Fontane (Campobello di Mazara) on May 29. Divers of the fire rescue in Palermo found another two crew members in the stern of the wreck.
Recovery hampered by strong currents:
The recovery operations have been particularly demanding because of the strong currents in the area that made the work of divers difficult. The Tunisian embassy in Rome and the consulate in Palermo assisted the castaways and in the repatriation of the dead.
The Mazara del Vallo Coast Guard concluded the SAR operation after all bodies had been retrieved. The “Gaz Century” dropped anchor off Malta on May 29.
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Source: Castelvetrano News
