A Gaza-bound activist aid ship caught fire and issued an SOS, after what its organisers claimed was an Israeli drone attack off the coast of Malta in international waters in the early hours of Friday.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which is campaigning to end Israel’s blockade of Gaza, told CNN activists were aboard its ship carrying humanitarian aid when the alleged attack happened just after midnight local time (6 p.m. ET Thursday).
The group is yet to provide evidence that the drone was Israeli, while the Israeli military has declined to comment on the alleged attack.
“There is a hole in the vessel right now and the ship is sinking,” Yasemin Acar, the coalition’s press officer, told CNN by phone from Malta on Friday morning.
Malta’s government said the 68-foot-long ship was carrying 16 people – 12 crew members and four civilian passengers. But FFC earlier gave CNN a higher figure of 30 people on board the vessel.
The Armed Forces of Malta confirmed there was a fire on a ship that was later extinguished. “We are monitoring the situation closely,” a spokesperson told CNN, adding that there were no injuries onboard.
In a later statement, Malta’s government said a tug boat had been sent to assist the vessel.
“All crew were confirmed safe but refused to board the tug. Assistance was provided to support interior firefighting efforts,” the Maltese government statement said.
The ship, the Conscience, was heading to Malta, where a large contingent of activists were due to board before it departed for Gaza, more than 1 000 miles away, but had not made it into port, the group said.
FFC told CNN that climate activist Greta Thunberg and retired US Army Colonel Mary Ann Wright were among those who were expected the board vessel in Malta, but were not onboard at the time of the fire.
“Volunteers from over 21 countries travelled to Malta to board the mission to Gaza, including prominent figures,” FFC said in a statement on Friday. (CNN)
