Iranian dry cargo vessel Rona in the Caspian Sea. Photo: marinetraffic.com.
Turkmenistan’s coastal services have rescued the crew of the Iranian dry cargo vessel Rona, which encountered distress in the Caspian Sea, according to the press service of the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The incident occurred on January 14, when the vessel, sailing from the Iranian port of Amirabad to the Russian city of Astrakhan, sent out a distress signal.
“As a result of timely response measures, all 14 people on board were rescued. According to preliminary information, they are citizens of Iran and India,” the statement said.
The dry cargo ship, previously known as Oban, departed on January 12 and was scheduled to arrive at its destination on January 16, Turkmen.news reported. On January 14, however, an emergency arose on board due to water ingress. Shortly after the distress signal was transmitted, the vessel sank. Details regarding the technical causes of the incident have not yet been disclosed.
Under the name Oban, the ship had regularly operated routes between the Iranian ports of Amirabad and Anzali and the Russian ports of Astrakhan, Makhachkala, and Azov, media outlets noted. CNN has linked this route to the possibility of maritime arms deliveries from Iran to Russia.
The sunken dry cargo vessel was built in 1983. It measured 113.98 meters in length and 13.21 meters in width.
