Two crew members missing after UAE vessel sinks in Gulf storm

Dubai-based ship operator says 28 of the 30 crew members are safe

Al Salmy 6 sinking in the Gulf. All photos: West Asia News Agency / Reuters

The ship encountered rough and stormy weather, then capsized.

An Emirati ship is seen sinking 30 miles from Assaluyeh in the Persian Gulf, Iran, March 17, 2022. Iran Ports organization/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.

A cargo vessel based in the UAE has sunk in the northern Gulf in severe weather conditions.

A rescue operation on Thursday led to 28 crew members being retrieved safely. The ship’s operator had previously told The National that all crew had been rescued.

Salem Al Makrani Cargo, based in Dubai, identified it as the Al Salmy 6, a roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel used to transport vehicles to Iraq. It was about 45 kilometres south of Iran, Iranian state media said, which would be in international waters.

Captain Nizar Qaddoura, operations manager at the Jebel Ali-based firm, said the ship encountered rough and stormy weather, then capsized. Weather service reports said waves in the area were up to six metres high.

Iranian rescuers saved 27 members of the crew, and one person was saved by a nearby tanker. Two crew members are still unaccounted for.

The crew comprised citizens of Sudan, India, Pakistan, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia, Capt Qaddoura said.

Iran’s official Irna news agency quoted local officials who said several rescue boats were sent and a helicopter was deployed.

The vessel sank in “unfavourable weather conditions and strong winds”, the Iranian official said.

The 138-metre vessel left Rashid Port in Dubai on Tuesday, March 15 and was expected at Umm Qasr Port in Basra, Iraq, on Friday.

Al Salmy 6 was built in 1983, making it 39 years old.