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Cargo Ship Sank off the Coast of Haifa
A cargo ship sank Friday night off the coast of Haifa outside the territorial waters of Israel about 80 kilometers offshore. A NATO ship rescued one of the crew and 11 others are still missing; there is deep concern for their lives.
A NATO ship rescued one of the crew in the dead of night, while the others - 11 Ukrainian sailors – are still missing; there is deep concern for their lives.
In the morning, Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed the Navy and Air Force to help search for the missing who were on the sunken boat. Searches with Air Force helicopters are being conducted even at this time.
According to the report, the ship carried the flag of Togo, a West African nation. The Port Authority said tonight that ownership was not clear, since a Togo flag is considered a so-called "flag of convenience." According to Authority officials it is possible that the owner of the ship is Israeli.
The Port Authority added that the source of uncertainty about the identity of the ship, which initially reported Turkish ownership, is due to the large turnover of owners in recent years. Until recently, the ship was "grounded" at the port of Haifa for nearly a year, by court order, due to accumulated debts. Only last month the small boat that shipped materials for brick manufacturing was released.