JOHANNESBURG: Twenty-seven crew members were missing after a bulk carrier sank off South Africa's notoriously dangerous southeastern coast, National Sea Rescue Institute spokesmen told AFP on Thursday.
The Alexandros T, which was sailing from Brazil to China with a load of steel, broke up around 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) on Wednesday in stormy weather around 300 nautical miles off the east coast harbour city Port Elizabeth.
"There were 33 crew members on board. Six have so far been rescued, but around 27 are still believed to be out there," operations coordinator Gavin Riddle said.
The NSRI's Craig Lambinon told AFP the men were not believed to be in life rafts but were wearing life jackets at the time the ship sank.
"As far as we know only five crew members made it into a life raft. They were rescued together with another crew member floating in the water," Lambinon said.
"The rest are in the water but have their life jackets on and were braving swells last night of between four to five metres (13 to 16 feet)," Lambinon said.
An air force C-130 Hercules search plane was flying in the area to try and spot the missing sailors, added Riddle, who said rescue helicopters did not have the range to fly to the accident scene.
Lambinon said the St Vincent and Grenadine-registered carrier, with a gross tonnage of 91,164, sent out a distress call at around 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) saying it was taking on water in the heavy swells.
"Several vessels in the area then sailed to the scene including the ship Fortune Express, which is looking for the survivors," he said.
Four of the sailors are Greek, including the captain, his second-in-command and two mechanics, according to a statement issued by the Greek Merchant Marine Ministry in Athens.
The stretch of coastline between Port Elizabeth and the eastern port Durban is notorious for claiming ships, including the carrier Kiperousa which sank there in June last year.
The worst disaster recorded there occurred in 1909 when the SS Waratah went down with all 211 hands on board and in recent years, the cruise liner Oceanos in 1991.
