Dubai ship sinks off Manama

A cargo vessel owned by a Dubai-based businessman carrying rice to war-torn Iraq sank 30 nautical miles off the coast of Bahraini capital of Manama early yesterday.

Strong winds that hit the Gulf were said to be the cause of the ship’s sinking. However, 17 Indian crew members were rescued by Bahrain Coast Guard while they were found floating with their life jackets on. Narendra Shial, who owned the ill-fated Indian-flagged vessel, Siddnath, said, “All the crew members are safe and recovering in the Coast Guard Hospital in Manama.” The vessel had left the Indian port of Mundra in Gujarat on January 22, carrying 1,000 tonnes of basmati rice chartered by an Iraqi businessman to distribute in the southern part of war-ravaged country. The vessel was heading for the Iraqi port of Khor Zubair.
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