Tanker sinks near Sharjah port due to strong winds

FOUR CREW MEMBERS SWIM TO SAFETY, ONE RESCUED BY COAST GUARDS

Sharjah An oil tanker, belonging to a Uae-based diesel company sank 500 metres from Al Hamriya Port, north west of Sharjah city, due to strong winds, a Coast Guard official told Gulf News.

All the five crew members were rescued, the official said.

Lady Moon, the tanker, sunk at around 6.15am on Sunday. According to the off icial, the tanker’s crew decided to anchor the ship off the coast due to strong winds.

“They dropped the anchor to wait till the wind slowed down. However, it got cut due to the impact of strong winds,’’ said the of-

The captain told the port’s sea monitors at the control unit that the ship’s engines were struggling. Later, he told them he had lost control of the ship’s steering, and by then the vessel, loaded with diesel fuel cargo, had started sinking.’’

ficial, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The crew sought help from the authorities in Al Hamriya port, the off icial added.

He said the crew tried to drive the tanker to Al Hamriya port, but the attempt failed as the steering wheel also broke and

Coast Guard official

consequently, there were s everal ot her t echnical problems due to which it could not be moved to the port.

‘Lost control’

“The captain told the port’s sea monitors at the control unit that the ship’s engines were struggling. Later, he told them he had lost control of the ship’s steering, and by then the vessel, loaded with diesel fuel cargo, had started sinking.’’ the official said.

Oil leakage

Coast Guards saved one of the crew members while the other four swam and reached the port safely, the official said.

The vessel soon sunk completely, leaving small traces of oil leakage in the water.

The security authorities are investigating the incident and are taking information from the crew.

The authorities said the tanker is expected to be refloated in the next few days.

This is the second inci- dent of a vessel sinking in the area.

In October, White Whale, a vessel that carried more than 1 ,000 tonnes of diesel, sank about 35km off the coast of Umm Al Quwain and about 25km east of Sharjah’s Port Khalid, according to an official of the UAE Coast Guard.

Same owner

Nine of its crew members were arrested and referred to public prosecution on charges of overloading the vessel.

The ship remains under water, although there have been discussions on refloating it.

Gulf News has learnt that the both the vessels belonged to the same owner.