A Ghanaian fishing vessel, MV Comforter II, sank on Friday dawn 97 nautical miles south of Takoradi, along the western coast of Ghana, Marine Police, Railways and Ports Command sources have confirmed.
A Chinese Sailor, Cai Tuanqui, 62, died and the body has been deposited at the International Maritime Hospital in Tema, the sources say.
Also, reports available indicate that 11 bodies – one Chinese and 10 Ghanaians including a fisheries observer, Collins Amoah – are still missing.
Additionally, 14 peopl -, four Chinese and 10 Ghanaians – are said to be receiving treatment at the same hospital.
The incident is said to have occurred at about 12am on Friday, between Elmina and Takoradi.
Information available to the B&FT indicates that there were 25 crew-members on board the vessel – 25 regular sailors and one fishing observer.
Sketchy video footage shows a rescue team salvaging a fisherman covered with blanket on board MV Comforter II, while a desperate operation was ongoing to search for other victims.
A Marine police source says: “The vessel’s owner at the Tema Fishing Harbour, Kojo Ampratwum, reported the incident to police, saying that the victims were traumatised during the disaster.
“The crew was hauling in a net that had caught a lot of fish, and at the time it was raining heavily and there was also a storm; so the weight pulled the vessel the other way, and as they tried to get the fish on board it turned, causing the disaster,” the source explained.
Investigation is on-going to get accurate information about exactly what happened on Friday.
