ABU DHABI // A Dubai-registered ship that sank off Qatar last week was raised from the seabed yesterday and all the remaining bodies were recovered from the wreck, the vessel's operator said.
Thirty crew members died when the 34-metre Demas Victory, a utility vessel providing services to the oil industry and run by the Midgulf Offshore Ship Chartering Company, capsized in heavy winds about 10 nautical miles off the coast of Doha early on Tuesday. Five survivors, including the captain, were rescued and by Friday, 19 bodies had been retrieved.
"The boat was floated last night and all the remaining bodies have been removed this morning," said Midgulf's general manager, George Mathew.
The crew was made up of 19 Indians, 12 Nepalis, three Indonesians and a Bangladeshi. Four were Midgulf employees; the others worked for Doha-based HBK Power Cleaning, which chartered the ship.
Investigators are seeking the cause of the accident, with teams from the Qatar Port Authority and Coastguard, as well as insurers, scouring the stricken craft for clues.
Salvagers found the vessel's hull undamaged, suggesting adverse weather conditions were the likely cause of the accident, Mr Mathew said.
"There is no damage to the vessel's hull anywhere.
"There is no hole or tear. The hull is in perfect condition. We assume that the cause of the accident is the weather, the swell and the wind, although we cannot reach a firm conclusion yet.
"We need to wait for a couple of days. The inspection of the wreck will give us some clues. We also don't rule out an error on the part of the crew."
The Demas Victory was raised from the seabed by Mubarak Marine, a Dubai salvage and towing company. The salvagers turned the ship upright on the seabed, then used divers to pass slings around the hull. A floating crane lifted it to the surface, where the remaining water was pumped out.
"There is no particular damage to the boat and it seems to have capsized due to the weather," said Juma Mubarak, the salvage company's managing director.
Meanwhile, the task of returning the bodies to their home countries has begun.
"All the families of the dead have been informed," Mr Mathew said.
"We are talking to them, and naturally they are very upset. We hope that by Wednesday three of the bodies will be repatriated." The body of one Midgulf employee, an Indian, was discovered in the vessel on Monday and is still going through Qatari government formalities before it can be released. The four Midgulf crew were insured and their families will each receive US$50,000 (Dh184,000) in compensation.
"This is the first accident of any type we have had. Until now, no crew member had suffered so much as a cut, and I was boasting about this," said Mr Mathew. "But when it came, it came big."
The Demas Victory was built to withstand tough weather and was used between 1979 and 2003 near the Zirko oilfield off the Abu Dhabi coast, where Mr Mathew said the conditions were worse than those near Qatar.
However, Qatar's north field, where the Demas Victory mainly was used, was known for its strong winds, he said.
Mr Mubarak said boats regularly sank in the Gulf because the weather was unpredictable and could turn violent without warning.
"Sinking happens quite a bit," he said. "The majority are barges involved in development carrying rocks, and tugboats. Most of the incidents involve capsizing, perhaps as a result of a wrong manoeuvre by the ship's master. The largest number of casualties occur in capsizings."
Most accidents happened during the winter, he said, when the north-westerly shamal wind can whip up without warning and reach speeds of 50 knots, almost gale force, and create waves of up to four metres on the normally placid Gulf waters.
Eight people died in February when the ferry Dhanna III capsized in bad weather while sailing from Mugharaq, on the western Al Gharbia coast, to Jurnain Island. There was only one survivor.
"The sea will never be free of accidents," Mr Mubarak added.
tspender@thenational.ae
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Label: Warner Records
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Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
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Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE