Thursday, June 22, 2006
Irish Examiner
A cargo ship carrying 20,000 tonnes of coal sank off the coast of Somalia, and a rescue mission was under way to save the crew, officials said today.
About 20 crew members were believed to be floating in life rafts after the MV Kanaya sank yesterday, said Andrew Mwangura, head of the Kenyan chapter of the Seafarers Assistance Programme.
“They sent out a distress signal before they abandoned the ship,” Mwangura said, adding that rescue boats have been dispatched.
There was no evidence that the sinking was due to piracy, which has been a growing problem off Somalia’s 1,860 mile coastline – the longest in Africa.
Piracy rose sharply last year, with the number of reported incidents at 35, compared with two in 2004, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
The bandits target passenger and cargo vessels for ransom or loot.
Somalia has had no coastguard or navy since 1991, when warlords ousted long-time dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on each other.
The ship’s home port was not immediately known, Mwangura said.
Source: Irish Examiner, June 22, 2006
