Hopes fade for sunken tug's crew
Photo by Reuters
Eighteen crew members are missing and feared drowned in the capsized Ukrainian
anchor handling tug supply vessel (AHTS) Neftegaz 67 following a collision
off Hong Kong.
Rescuers said hopes for the survival of the crew were fading as the vessel has
now been submerged since colliding with the Chinese cargo ship Yao Hai
north-west of Hong Kong’s Lantau Island late on Saturday.
Chinese salvage experts told the Associated Press that divers were continuing
to search for bodies, but chances were now remote that the sailors could
have survived in air pockets inside the vessel. They said divers who banged
on the vessel's hull had heard no response from within.
Efforts were also underway to move the vessel to shallower water to aid rescue
and salvage attempts.
The ship is lying in about 115 feet of water in an area plagued by strong
currents.
The ship reportedly sank quickly after colliding with the Yao Hai. Seven of
the vessel’s 25 crew were rescued following the accident. The missing crew
are believed to have been working below deck on the vessel.
The 264-foot Neftegaz 67 was en-route to an oilfield off Hong Kong from the
Chinese port of Shenzhen.
The Associated Press said documents obtained from Hong Kong’s Marine
Department showed the vessel was detained in the city in 2003 because of
safety problems.
24 March 2008 07:27 GMT
| last updated:
24 March 2008 07:27 GMT
Latest jobs
