LAS MALVINAS

Falkland Islands: At least six dead after fishing boat sinks

A fishing vessel carrying 27 sunk off the Falklands, killing at least six people while seven others are missing. Rescuers found fourteen people and took them to a hospital in Stanley.

Ten off those on board were Spanish.

Image: Steven Heap/Zoonar/picture alliance

Officials from the UK and Spain said Tuesday that a fishing boat carrying 27 people had sunk off the Falkland Islands, with six dead and seven others missing.

The boat sank about 320 kilometers (199 miles) off the Falkland Islands east of Argentina. The archipelago is controlled by Britain, but Argentina claims it as its own and calls it Las Malvinas.

Rescue operations

Fourteen people made it onto a life raft and were rescued by two other fishing boats that were nearby, said Spanish authorities.

Authorities from Spain's Pontevedra province said 10 of the crew members were from Spain. There were other nationalities on the ship as well.

The Argentinian navy said strong winds and waves had damaged the vessel, causing water to rapidly fill the hull.

Authorities in the Falklands said they received an emergency signal on Monday from the vessel known as Argos Georgia. It was sailing at a speed of 35 knots (40 mph, 65 kmph) when the signal was sent, said monitoring site MarineTraffic.com.

The boat was sailing east of Stanley, the capital of the Falklands.

A helicopter spotted survivors on Monday. Another aircraft and other vessels were deployed for a rescue operation, which had to be suspended earlier due to rough wind and waters and low visibility. Efforts were resumed on Tuesday.

Fourteen people were taken to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in Stanley for treatment.

The vessel built in 2018 was managed by Argos Froyanes Ltd., a privately owned joint British-Norwegian company, and was sailing under the flag of St. Helena, another of Britain's overseas territories.

"Our crew members are true professionals and have regular training for such a situation. We trust in their ability to use the safety equipment to the best of their ability," the company said in a statement.

In 1982, Britain had gained territorial rights within 200 miles of the archipelago after its victory over Argentina in a war that has soured relations between the two nations to this day.

When the Argos Georgia called for help, Britain said they had dispatched boats and a helicopter to the scene, without mentioning any coordination with Argentina.

The Argentinian navy also said it received the distress call and responded to it. Argentina said it deployed fishing boats and life rafts "to rescue survivors despite extreme weather conditions."

tg/jsi (AFP, AP, Reuters)