A freighter caught fire off the coast of Sharjah, UAE. The fire quickly engulfed the freighter with the crew being rescued by the coast guard. Reports state some crew members suffered burns and were taken to hospital for treatment. The vessel remained ablaze until it was gutted and sank. No further details reported.
The 78 meter long, 3099 dwt freighter Sea Blue went aground off Sharjah, UAE. The Sea Blue had departed from Dubai in bad weather bound for several ports along the East Africa. The vessel only traveled a short distance when it had suffered engine failure. Pushed by wind and waves, the Sea Blue quickly went ashore. No reports of injuries to the 11 crew on board. Conflicting reports state the vessel may be dismantled on site or will be later refloated.
The 40 meter long barge Al Hafar 2 went ashore on the breakwater at the port of Al Hamriya, UAE. The barge was at anchor after coming from Ajman and used in marine surveys when heavy winds and waves reaching 8 meters in height pushed the vessel onto the breakwater. The two crewmen on board were safely rescued by the UAE Coast Guard. The Al Hafar 2 remains high and dry on the breakwater near to the location of the tanker Lady Moon which had sunk in January 2012. Another barge, the Surya Sorka, went ashore nearby. The Surya Sorka, used for hauling cargo, had one man on board who was rescued by the Sharjah police.
Reports state several other vessels became stranded due to the storm. A vessel went ashore at Ras Al Khaimah and another went ashore at Khor Khuweir. Both vessels were later refloated and proceeded to the port in Ras Al Khaimah. A third vessel had requested assistance as it approached the port at Al Hamriya, but was able to successfully drop anchor a few hundred meters from the port. Rough seas has prevented rescuers to reach the vessel.
