Ten crew rescued after Tanzanian-flagged cargo ship sinks west of Paphos

Paphos, Cyprus. Ten crew members were saved after a merchant vessel flying the Tanzanian flag sank in the sea off Paphos on Friday evening. They were taken to the port of Limassol.

Alert and rescue operation

The joint rescue coordination centre (JRCC) in Larnaca reported that it learned of the sinking at about 8.15pm on Friday. The vessel went down 90 nautical miles west of Paphos, and the centre launched a rescue operation under its “Nearchos” search and rescue plan.

The JRCC sent a helicopter and a maritime police vessel to the area. It also redirected the merchant ship “MSC Hannah III”, which was nearby. That ship picked up the crew and carried them to Limassol.

Condition of the crew and follow-up

Ambulance crews examined the ten seafarers and found them to be in good health. They were then passed into the care of the competent state services.

The embassies concerned have been notified of the incident. The foreign ministry has started dealing with the case through diplomatic channels.