On March 12, three stowaways were found hiding in the chimney of a ship that was due to leave the Port Elizabeth.
What happened?
The discovered stowaways were admitted to hospital with one reported to be in a serious condition. They were found hiding in the chimney of a ship that was scheduled to leave the port Elizabeth on March 12.
Discovered during routine check
They were discovered during a routine check carried out before the departure of the vessel. The vessel was enroute from Madagascar and had docked at the Port of Elizabeth on Sunday before setting sail for Saldanha Bay on Monday.
The stowaways have been identified as Tanzanians aged between 28 and 33, and believed to have boarded the liquefied petroleum gas tanker, Azeri Gas, during the early hours.
Inhaled engine fumes
Police spokeswoman Colonel Priscilla Naidu said, “The three men had entered the secured section at about 1.15am and managed to board the vessel. The CCTV cameras picked them up boarding the ship but this was only reviewed after the men had been caught”.
She further added, “The ship was preparing to depart which is why the engines were on. This in turn led to the three men inhaling fumes from the engine. The men would be kept under police guard while receiving treatment and it was unclear where they had come from and if they were in the country illegally”.
They will be handed over to the Police to be questioned after they had been declared medically fit.
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Source: Herald Live
