25 Indians on board Panama vessel feared dead

MUMBAI: Twenty-five Indians on board the Panamanian cargo vessel 'MV Rezzak' are feared dead, a top official in Directorate General of Shipping here said on Sunday, six days after the ship went missing in the Black Sea.

The ship, which lost contact on February 18, is believed to have sank off the coast of Turkey, but a search operation was still on.

A life raft had been seen floating in the sea but there were no survivors inside it or near its vicinity. "We are calling up the Turkish authorities. They are searching for survivors, but have not found anyone so far," the official said.

"In the inclement cold weather in the Black Sea, a person can be alive only for 30 minutes even after wearing a life jacket." Bad weather there has further added to the woes. "We are in a hopeless situation. In all probability they are dead," the official said.

The life raft breaks away from the ship when it starts sinking 10 metres.