Stakeholders of the missing livestock carrier Gulf Livestock 1 have appealed to Japan, Korea and China to resume the search for survivors.

In a press release, the company said owners, managers and the manning agent of the Gulf Navigation Holding ship had made representations through the UAE government and had reached out to the Japanese Coast Guard as well as nation states bordering the South China Sea to resume the search-and-rescue operation. 

Detailed search

“This search to specifically include the many small uninhabited islands where relatives believe their loved ones might have reached during the severe storm,” said the statement. 

“Search and rescue operations are in the hands of the nation states with jurisdiction over the relevant territory and they have the best resources and equipment to undertake such tasks quickly and efficiently.”

The statement continued: “These messages have been reinforced by owners presenting their request to the UAE Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make and support the request to the Japanese, Chinese and Korean Governments, via their embassies,  to continue with the search.

“A general alert has also gone out to all ships, including fishing vessels, passing through the region to keep a sharp look out for survivors; again, requesting regional governments to support this initiative.”

The feasibility of sending professional dive teams to the vessel was also being considered, but the extreme depths, which could be more than 1000m, and the strength of the two storms make the location of the ship uncertain, the company said.

The company’s statement revealed more about the circumstances under which the ship, which was en route from New Zealand to China, is believed to have sunk on September 2, saying it capsized after it was struck by a huge wave during the typhoon.

A distress call was made, and rescue efforts launched, but they were hampered by a second storm, Typhoon Haishem.

Of the 43-strong crew, only two, the ship’s chief officer and an able seaman (AB) have been found alive, and the body of a third was found in a lifeboat before the main search efforts were called off on September 9.

(Writing by Imogen Lillywhite; editing by Seban Scaria)

(imogen.lillywhite@refinitiv.com)

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