Twenty-seven people are still missing after their ship sunk off the coast of Port Alfred, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said on Thursday.
”The Fortune Express [a bulk carrier] has launched a lifeboat and her crew are continuing to search for survivors,” said search and rescue coordinator Mark Hellenberg.
An Air Force C-130 was due on scene at first light on Thursday.
All 33 crew on the Alexandros T abandoned ship on Wednesday night when the vessel began breaking up. Despite all crew standing by to abandon ship, only five people made it to life rafts.
The Fortune Express was only two nautical miles from the scene and rescued the five crew from a life raft.
”The rest of the crew appear to have been forced into the sea. Only one of the 28 crew who went into the sea has so far been found,” said Hellenberg.
All of the 27 missing crew were wearing life jackets. The Alexandros T has completely sunk about 285 nautical miles off Port Alfred.
All of the 27 missing are wearing life jackets.
None of the six survivors are reported to be injured. – Sapa