UAE cargo ship sinks in Persian Gulf, most crew rescued

A United Arab Emirates-flagged cargo ship carrying cars sank in the Persian Gulf, Iran’s ports authority said Thursday, with poor weather hampering the rescue operation.

One member of the vessel’s 30-member crew has died in the incident and 28 others have so far been rescued and taken to the Iranian port city of Assalouyeh, the Ports & Maritime Organization said in a statement, without naming the ship or giving a reason for the sinking.

The Associated Press identified the ship as the Al Salmy 6, citing Nizar Qaddoura, operations manager of the UAE-based Salem Al Makrani Cargo Co. The company is the vessel’s registered owner, according to the International Maritime Organization’s online database.

The vessel sank 30 miles (48.3 kilometers) off the Iranian coast, according to the statement.