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Iran rescues dozens as UAE-flagged cargo ship sinks in Gulf

EPA Photo provided by Iran's Ports and Maritime Organisation that shows the stricken Al Salmy 6 before it went down in the Gulf (17 March 2022)EPA
Iran's Ports and Maritime Organisation released photos showing the stricken Al Salmy 6 before it sank

Iran has rescued 29 of the 30 crew members of a UAE-flagged cargo ship that sank in the Gulf amid high winds and rough seas, state media report.

An operation was continuing to find the missing sailor, an emergency response official told Irna news agency.

Two rescue vessels and helicopters were dispatched after the Al Salmy 6 went down about 48km (30 miles) from the port of Assaluyeh on Thursday.

Winds were more than 70km/h (45mph) at the time, the Iranian official said.

The operations manager of the Dubai-based company that owns the Al Salmy 6, Salem Al Makrani Cargo company, told the Associated Press that the 138m-long (453ft) car transporter had been sailing towards the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr.

The bad weather initially caused the ship to list at a precarious angle, Capt Nizar Qaddoura said, but within hours it was fully submerged.

The crew comprised nationals of Sudan, India, Pakistan, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia, he added.