Heavy Weather Causes Crew Deaths, as Several Ships Wreck in Algerian Storm

Heavy weather in Algeria caused several ships to either ground or sink. The general Algerian cargo ship "Bechar" ran aground and sank near the Kheireddine jetty. Sixteen sailors were killed in this accident. Rescue teams continued to search around the ship for nine sailors that are still missing. The "Bechar" is a 11,941 dwt cargo ship owned by the Algerian national shipping line, CNAN-Group. Two ships, the CNAN ship, the "Batna," a 20,500 dwt bulk ship, and a Turkish container ship, "Wanda A" ran aground. One sailor on the Turkish vessel was killed as well. Gale force winds whipped waves to more than 26 feet high; another ship was pushed ashore into a suburban district of Algiers. No casualties were reported. Five inches of rain fell in 48 hours across Algeria, and three people were killed when their homes collapsed.