At least six dead after fishing boat sinks – DW – 24.07.2024

Officials from Britain and Spain announced on Tuesday that a fishing boat with 27 people on board had sunk off the Falkland Islands; six people were killed and seven others were missing.

The boat sank about 320 kilometers off the Falkland Islands, east of Argentina. The archipelago is controlled by Great Britain, but Argentina claims it as its own and calls it Las Malvinas.

Rescue measures

Fourteen people made it onto a life raft and were rescued by two other fishing boats nearby, Spanish authorities said.

Authorities in the Spanish province of Pontevedra said that ten of the crew members were Spanish, but there were also people of other nationalities on board the ship.

The Argentine Navy said strong winds and waves had damaged the ship, causing the hull to quickly fill with water.

Authorities in the Falkland Islands said they received a distress signal from the ship Argos Georgia on Monday. The vessel was travelling at a speed of 35 knots (65 km/h) when the signal was sent, monitoring site MarineTraffic.com reported.

The boat sailed east of Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands.

A helicopter spotted survivors on Monday. Another aircraft and ships were deployed for a rescue operation, but it had to be aborted due to strong winds and waves and poor visibility. Efforts resumed on Tuesday.

Fourteen people were taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in Stanley for treatment.

Built in 2018, the vessel was managed by Argos Froyanes Ltd., a private British-Norwegian joint venture, and sailed under the flag of St. Helena, another British overseas territory.

“Our crew members are true professionals and are regularly trained for such situations. We trust that they will use the safety equipment in the best possible way,” the company said in a statement.

In 1982, Britain gained territorial rights within 320 kilometers of the archipelago following its victory over Argentina in a war that continues to strain relations between the two nations to this day.

When the Argos Georgia called for help, Britain said it had sent boats and a helicopter to the scene, but made no mention of coordination with Argentina.

The Argentine Navy also said it had received the distress call and responded. Argentina said it had deployed fishing boats and life rafts “to rescue survivors despite extreme weather conditions.”

tg/jsi (AFP, AP, Reuters)