Three die as tugboat rams fishing vessel

Three fishermen died when a tugboat rammed into their vessel yesterday near Dubai shores.

Four other crew members of the fishing boat were injured and were airlifted to Abu Dhabi hospitals. Some of them, including the captain, sustained serious injuries.

According to Dubai Police, the incident was caused by heavy fog, which obstructed visibility and made it virtually impossible for the tugboat to see the other vessel before it slammed into it.

First Lieutenant Jumaa Al Rahoumi, Acting Head of the Rescue Department at Dubai Police, said the accident happened at 5.30am.

"Visibility was very poor due to the dense fog, so the tug boat captain didn't see the fishing vessel, which was anchored. The tug crashed into the rear of the vessel, and the impact caused the death of the three men while injuring the rest," he said.

After Dubai Police received an SOS, two helicopters and two rescue boats rushed to the scene.

"When we arrived, we found that the injured had already been airlifted by helicopter," he said.
The rescue team had to comb the area looking for the dead seamen.

The air operation was headed by Lieutenant Colonel Sheikh Saeed Bin Hasher Al Maktoum. The sea operation was led by First Lieutenant Khalifa Basher Al Barq, Head of the Sea Rescue Unit.

The body of one of the fishermen, an Indian national, was found.

The team was yesterday still combing the area for the bodies of the two other victims, a Pakistani and an Indian.