A ship carrying thousands of sheep capsized off the coast of Aden near Yemeni territorial waters.
Footage circulated by activists showed the vessel struggling in the waters of the Gulf of Aden, heavily tilting under the weight of its livestock cargo before capsizing.
Different reports suggest the ship was carrying anywhere between thousands to nearly one million sheep, although most local sources confirm the number was in the thousands.
According to reports, the ship had departed from Somalia and was heading towards Djibouti when the incident occurred. It capsized near the coastal area of Ras Al-Arah, located in Yemen’s Lahj Governorate.
The overloading of livestock is believed to have been a major factor contributing to the accident, according to local sources.
After the vessel began sinking, a group of Yemeni fishermen from Ras Al-Arah quickly mobilised their boats to assist in an emergency rescue.
They were able to save several members of the crew, who were reportedly Somali nationals, along with many of the sheep.
However, despite their quick efforts, more than 160 sheep drowned, according to local reports.
Videos from the scene showed frantic attempts by Yemenis to pull surviving animals from the waters of the Red Sea.
The vessel ran aground before sinking completely, leading to chaotic scenes as fishermen and locals scrambled to save the livestock.
Authorities have not yet issued an official statement.
References: ypagency, hodhodyemennews
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