Sudan: More than 15,000 sheep drown after sinking ship
Vendors wait for customers to buy sheep at a livestock market ahead of the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha in the city of Khartoum, Saturday, July 17, 2021. AP - Marwan Ali
Text by: RFI Follow
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The ship, which was heading for Saudi Arabia, sank in the Sudanese port of Suakin, a commercial hub for many African countries, located nearly 800 km northeast of Khartoum.
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More than 15,000 sheep drowned in a Sudanese port in the Red Sea on Sunday after the ship carrying them sank, local officials said.
“
The Badr 1 vessel sank very early on Sunday while carrying
15,800 sheep (…) All the animals died
,” said a senior port official, who requested anonymity.
The reasons for the sinking were not immediately known but, according to him, the ship was "
well beyond its maximum load
".
Another port official confirms the incident, assuring that the crew had been saved, but not the animals.
He says he fears "
an environmental impact after the death by drowning of thousands of animals
" in the Red Sea, as well as a disruption of port activities.
According to this official, the ship could carry up to 9,000 animals, but modifications had been made to increase this maximum load.
"
The ship had already transported
12,000 animals, but this is the first time that there were more than 15,000 animals on board
," he said.
Located 60 km south of Port Sudan, Suakin has one of the main ports in the country.
On May 25, its docks had been ravaged by a fire.
An investigation had been opened to determine the causes.
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To read also
: The blocking of the Suez Canal revives the debate on the maritime transport of farmed animals
(With AFP)
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Sudan
Agriculture and Fishing