Video: Two more bodies of oil tanker fire victims found off Sharjah coast

Sharjah - Police said efforts are continuing to find two missing sailors - an African and a Bangladeshi national.

by Dhanusha Gokulan

Published: Sun 2 Feb 2020, 7:00 PM

Last updated: Mon 3 Feb 2020, 7:54 AM

Two more bodies have been found following the deadly fire on an oil tanker off the coast of Sharjah last week, raising the total death toll to four.

Federal Transport Authority - Land & Maritime (FTA) stated that the UAE authorities are working to put out a fire that broke out aboard an oil tanker 21 miles off the cost of Sharjah after receiving a distress message. A proper investigation is in progress. pic.twitter.com/HE5pEDrUyj
- Jaber Al Lamki (@jallamki) January 29, 2020

Police said efforts are continuing to find two missing sailors - an African and a Bangladeshi national.
The Federal Authority for Land and Maritime Transport announced the accident on January 30, and said the fire broke out onboard an unloaded Panamanian-flagged tanker sailing 21 miles off the UAE. The vessel, MT Sam, had 12 crew onboard and 44 technicians at the time of the incident. They included Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Ethiopian and other undisclosed nationalities.
Police sources said they found two more bodies and are cooperating with the Ministry of Interior to find others.
Six injured were rushed to Al Kuwaiti Hospital - two of them are in critical states and four others were discharged on Sunday. "The mortal remains of the deceased crew have been kept at the Sharjah's Forensic Laboratory."
Vipul, consul-general of India in Dubai, said on Twitter on Friday that the consulate officials are providing support to the injured. "Local authorities have informed the consulate that two Indians died in the fire on ship MT Sam off Sharjah coast on Jan 29. Two Indians are injured and in hospital while two are still missing. Our officers are visiting hospital to see the injured," he wrote.
"We are providing support to the injured and families of the deceased since Thursday," said an Indian social worker.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com