Five Moroccan fishermen missing off Safi
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Yabiladi
Five fishermen are missing after their boat, the Lalla Khadija, disappeared off Safi, Morocco. The Moroccan Maritime Fisheries Ministry has mobilised patrol boats, ships and two helicopters to search for them, with the operation hampered by bad weather and rough seas, according to its statement.
Five Moroccan fishermen are missing off Safi after their boat, the Lalla Khadija, failed to return to port as expected. The Maritime Fisheries Ministry was alerted on Friday 23 October at around 5pm by the boat’s owner, according to Yabiladi.
The fishermen had set out on Thursday aboard the boat, registered as 7-7016. The Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre in Bouznika launched a search and alerted vessels in the area. Two rescue boats from Safi and Agadir, fishing boats and merchant ships were mobilised. Two helicopters belonging to the Royal Gendarmerie and the Royal Navy also carried out aerial searches.
The ministry said weather conditions and the state of the sea were hampering the search and rescue of the crew. The disappearance has caused concern among the fishermen’s families and colleagues at the port of Safi.
