Ten rescued after ship sinks off Paphos coast

Ten crew members were rescued after a Tanzanian-flagged merchant ship sank off the coast of Paphos on Friday evening. Larnaca’s joint rescue coordination centre (JRCC) said that information about the sinking of the vessel 90 nautical miles west of Paphos was received at around 8.15pm on Friday, prompting a rescue operation under its “Nearchos” search and rescue plan. The JRCC dispatched a helicopter, as well as a maritime police vessel and diverted the nearby merchant ship “MSC Hannah III”, which took the crew on board and brought them to the port of Limassol. Ambulance services found the ten in good health, and they were then handed over to the relevant state services. The embassies concerned were informed about the incident, and the foreign ministry has begun handling the matter through diplomatic channels.