Cargo ship carrying dozens sinks off Lebanon
Last Updated: Thursday, December 17, 2009 | 3:57 PM ET
The Associated Press
A cargo ship carrying 83 crew members and a load of cattle sank off the Lebanese coast Thursday in stormy weather, and hours later rescuers had pulled 12 people from the water, officials said.
Vessels from the Lebanese navy and a United Nations peacekeeping force were trying to find and rescue others from the sunken ship, which was believed to have been sailing from Uruguay to the Syrian port of Tartous.
Andrea Tenenti, a spokesman for the UNIFIL peacekeeping force, identified the Panamanian-flagged ship as the Danny F II.
It sank nearly 18 kilometres from the Lebanese city of Tripoli in a heavy rainstorm.
The vessel sent a distress call Thursday afternoon, but had sunk before a Lebanese navy ship reached the area, a senior Lebanese army officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release information to news media.
A civilian vessel was also called in to help, and UNIFIL sent an Italian frigate, a German mine hunter and a German supply ship.
Thursday's sinking comes a week after a freighter heading to an Israeli port sank in stormy weather in international waters near the Lebanese coast.
Six of its 12 crew members were rescued.
That ship was headed from Greece to the northern Israeli port of Haifa.
Share Tools
Top News Headlines
- Everest team unable to bring down Toronto woman's body
- Bad weather has hampered the recovery team that is attempting to bring down the body of a Toronto woman who died trying to climb Mt. Everest. more »
- Attack on Syrian villages deadliest yet, activists say
- More than 90 people have been killed by regime forces in a district of central Syria, with the head of the UN team in the country confirming more than 32 children and 60 adults were killed the attack. more »
- Aylmer triple stabbing leads to first-degree murder charges
- The estranged partner of a young mother who was stabbed to death along with her parents at their home in Aylmer, Que., has been charged with first-degree murder Friday. more »
- The risks and responsibilities of taking on Mt. Everest
- The deaths of six climbers last weekend on Mt. Everest, with more summits underway this weekend, fuels the debate about the risks and responsibilities of high altitude climbing. more »
Latest World News Headlines
- Attack on Syrian villages deadliest yet, activists say
- More than 90 people have been killed by regime forces in a district of central Syria, with the head of the UN team in the country confirming more than 32 children and 60 adults were killed the attack. more »
- No. 3 in Egypt election demands recount
- A spokesman for the third-place finisher in Egypt's presidential race has called for a partial vote recount, citing violations. more »
- 3rd most-wanted Nazi war criminal dies in Germany
- Klaas Carel Faber, a Dutch native who fled to Germany after being convicted in the Netherlands of Nazi war crimes and subsequently lived in freedom despite several attempts to try or extradite him, has died. He was 90. more »
- Everest team unable to bring down Toronto woman's body
- Bad weather has hampered the recovery team that is attempting to bring down the body of a Toronto woman who died trying to climb Mt. Everest. more »
Dispatches »
- Foreign slaves serving the U.S. military machine May. 24, 2012 3:33 PM How does a hairdresser recruited for work in Dubai, wind up slaving for the U.S. military in a war zone in Iraq? There are tens of thousands serving in what's come to be known as America's "Invisible Army."
Connect Newsroom Blog
Etan Patz, Brian Banks & 50 Shades of Grey May. 25, 2012 8:56 PM On his first full day of his new life, former football star Brian Banks joins us live.
- Aylmer triple stabbing leads to first-degree murder charges
- Pope's butler arrested in Vatican leaks scandal
- B.C. premier unhappy with disgraced Mountie's transfer
- Everest team unable to bring down Toronto woman's body
- Everest victim's husband says family not seeking government help
- Tornado touchdown confirmed near Montreal
- The risks and responsibilities of taking on Mt. Everest
- Ottawa man in hospital after lightning strike
- Canada ending 'Buffalo shuffle' for visas, closing consulate
