25 rescued from stricken ship

2009-09-08 11:13

A cargo ship has run aground near Bloubergstrand after stormy conditions in Table Bay, Cape Town. (Roy Hannington, News24 User)

Cape Town - Twenty-five Turkish crew members were rescued after a ship ran aground in Table Bay as bad weather struck up massive swells and gale-force winds, rescuers said on Tuesday.

The 77-metre Panamanian-registered coal bulk carrier was driven ashore while lying at anchor in Cape Town's Table Bay, said National Sea Rescue Institute station commander Pat van Eyssen.

The accident happened at around midnight, as waves were crashing over the bow of the ship, which rolled and listed in the rising tide, he said.

"It is suspected her hull was holed, and after her engine room flooded and water rose inside the ship, her captain sent out a Mayday to abandon ship," he added.

Rescue craft managed to get the crew off the ship and one man was treated for mild hypothermia.

Known as the Cape of Storms, this part of the country's coastline is particularly treacherous for ships, claiming victims almost every year.

- AFP