Freighter sinks in the Aegean Sea - 13 people missing
13 sailors are missing after a freighter sank around 4.5 nautical miles southwest of the island of Lesbos. As reported by Greek radio (ERT) on Sunday, citing the coastguard, the crew of a rescue helicopter was able to save one of the shipwrecked people.
According to the report, the freighter "Raptor" had already sent out a distress signal on Sunday night and then sank under unexplained circumstances. The cargo was said to be salt, the report continued.
According to the maritime portal "Marinetraffic.com", the ship was on its way from Egypt to Istanbul under the flag of the island state of Comoros. The crew members are said to come from Syria, India and Egypt. According to Greek media, passing ships, a Greek navy frigate and three coastguard boats took part in the large-scale rescue operation.
A severe storm has been raging in south-eastern Europe since Saturday. According to the Meteorological Office in Athens (EMY), the winds are gusting up to force eleven in places. Almost all ferry services between the Greek islands and the mainland have been suspended. The strong winds should subside over the course of Sunday, at least in the region of the accident site.
The freighter "Raptor," amidst the storm's fierce gusts, encountered issues and released a distress signal before sinking. The rescue operation, involving several vessels and the Greek navy, was Complex, due to the adverse weather conditions related to the ongoing storm.
Source: www.dpa.com
