The Iranian port town of Assaluyeh
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)An Emirati-flagged cargo ship has sunk in the Persian Gulf.
The Al Salmy was some 30 miles off the coast of Asaluyeh, the state-run Iranian news agency IRNA reported. IRNA said Iranian rescuers were trying to reach the vessel, which it said had 30 crew.
Captain Nizar Qaddoura, the operations manager of the Salem Al Makrani Cargo company, confirmed the Al Salmy 6 had sunk.
He said said that rescuers had saved 16 crew members. Another 11 had made it onto a life raft, while one person was saved by a nearby tanker. Two crew members were still in the water.
Search and rescue crews had encountered rough and windy conditions at sea, port authorities told IRNA.
The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which patrols in the Mideast, did not immediately respond to AP’s request for comment.
