Ro-Ro ‘Al Salmy 6’ Capsizes and Sinks Off Iraq

A roll-on/roll-off vehicle carrier belonging to Dubai-based Salem Al Makrani Cargo Company capsized and later sank in the Persian Gulf about 30 miles from southern Iraq.

All but one the ship’s 30 crew members have been rescued, Iran’s official IRNA news agency said.

The ship is the UAE-flagged Al Salmy 6, which was underway from Dubai to Umm Qasr in southern Iraq.

A spokesperson for Salem Al Makrani Cargo Company told reporters that the ship experienced high winds and waves which caused the vessel to capasize.

Many of the crew members made it into life rafts and two were reported to be in the water, one of whom was rescued by a nearby tanker.

The last position received from the vessel was at 06:05 UTC, or 10:05 local time, with its status reported as “Not Under Command”.

Al Salmy 6 was built in 1983 and is 16,021 gross tonnes.

The incident is the latest in a series of car carrier mishaps, the latest being the fire and sinking of the Felicity Ace in the Atlantic Ocean. Other recent stability-related accidents have included the Golden Ray in St. Simons Sound, Georgia and Modern Express in the Bay of Biscay.