Captain remains lost at sea, two crew members rescued

A boat traveling to Alif Alif Atoll sank yesterday, stranding three crewmembers at sea. Two have been rescued today, but there has been no sign of the boat’s captain yet.

The Maarana 4 boat went missing yesterday. It was carrying goods to Kuramathi Resort Island, about an hour south of Malé. The coast guard declared a search when some of the goods were found floating at sea.

Nearly 36 hours after the boat sank, two Bangladeshi crewmembers were found at sea, north of the capital, today. They were wearing life jackets.

The search for Ibrahim Hassan, the Maldivian captain is ongoing, the coastguard has said. Hassan is in his late thirties and is said to be an experienced captain.

Major Adnan Mohamed, the Maldives National Defence Force’s spokesperson, said that both crewmembers who were rescued today are healthy, but are receiving treatment at the hospital.

The Maldives Meteorological Center has warned of heavy rainfall and strong winds and has warned travellers to take precautionary measures.

Two boats sank on Saturday due to bad weather.

Several islands, including Hithadhoo and Fuvahmulah Islands in the South, have reported flooding because of heavy rainfall.