14 people were rescued from the lifeboats, but 5 people are still missing. Severe weather conditions hindered the rescue work.
Eight people have died after a fishing vessel capsized near the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, Spanish and British maritime authorities said late Tuesday evening. In addition, five people are missing.
According to the authorities of the autonomous region of Galicia in Spain, the maritime authorities of the Falkland Islands have said that 14 people have been found alive on the life rafts following the shipwreck of the Argos Georgia ship. The rescued were in good condition except for surface scratches.
There were 27 people on board at the time of the accident. Spanish Foreign Minister By Jose Manuel Albares included ten Spanish passengers, some of whom were scientists. It is said that there were also citizens of several other countries on board.
The maritime authorities of the Falkland Islands have said that they received a distress signal from the ship on Monday. The crew abandoned the ship shortly after 4:00 p.m. local time when water began to flood it uncontrollably. According to the authorities, the ship was about 320 kilometers away from the Falkland Islands belonging to the United Kingdom at the time.
Among other things, two British Air Force aircraft and several naval vessels participated in the rescue operation. Two nearby fishing vessels were also rescuing the survivors.
According to the authorities, the rescue helicopter spotted survivors at sea already on Monday evening, but the rescue operations had to be stopped due to rough seas, poor visibility and strong winds. They were allowed to continue only after the storm subsided on Tuesday.
2018 The nearly 54-meter Argos Georgia vessel, built in Turkey, was owned by the British-Norwegian private fishing company Argos Froyanes. The ship sailed under the flag of Saint Helena, located in the South Atlantic and belonging to Britain. According to the owner, it is unclear whether the ship has completely sunk.
Sources: AFP, AP