Cargo Ship Sinks off Oman, Captain Found Dead

An Iranian ship captain has died after his cargo ship sank last week near an Omani port.

Nine other Indian crewmen were rescued on Wednesday by the Omani Coast Guard and naval ships. The captain’s body was discovered the next day.

According to local news reports, the vessel sank about 1.4 nautical miles from the Sultan Qaboos Port [pictured above]. The NISAR R3 was reportedly carrying a cargo of 816 tonnes of bitumen - a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum.

A control tower received a distress report from the ship; water was flowing onboard, and the ship lacked the equipment to drain water. Two tugboats arrived on scene, only after the ship was completely submerged. 

Rescue vessels were able to recover some of the bitumen, which had spread to the nearby shores.

The surviving crewmen were transported to a police hospital for medical treatment.