By Lebone Rodah Mosima
A preliminary investigation has been launched by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) following the sinking of the MW Leo vessel near Mossel Bay in the Western Cape, which left one person dead and five crew members missing.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) said the MW Leo, registered under the Comoros flag, transmitted a distress signal reporting uncontrolled water ingress on the evening of 28 February 28.
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“At the time, the vessel was approximately eighty (80) nautical miles south of Mossel Bay, on a single voyage from Durban to Nigeria,” the department said.
The vessel is owned by Magnet Energy Limited, based in Lagos, Nigeria.
The DOT said the crew reportedly abandoned ship into the vessel’s liferafts, and the vessel later sank in the early hours of March 1.
A total of 18 crew members, all Nigerian nationals, were on board, the department said. Twelve were rescued alive.
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The department said the response is being coordinated by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Cape Town.
“The Federal Republic of Nigeria’s High Commissioner, HE Tope Ajayi, is being kept abreast of the developments on an ongoing basis,” the department added.
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