The Mogadishu Port Authority announced that all 18 crew members aboard the MV JACUAR—which ran aground approximately 12 nautical miles north of Mogadishu following an emergency—have been rescued.
According to a preliminary statement issued by the Mogadishu Port Authority and Somalia’s Ministry of Ports and Marine Transport, the vessel was in the Mogadishu Port anchorage area when the incident occurred and transmitted an emergency signal reporting water ingress.
Port authorities instructed the vessel to weigh anchor, move away from the port area, and head north to mitigate risks to the ship itself and other vessels in the port.
The vessel subsequently ran aground at a location approximately 12 nautical miles north of Mogadishu.
The MV JACUAR had departed from the Port of Beira in Mozambique and was en route to the Port of Adabiya in Egypt. The vessel was carrying a cargo of copper cathodes and is owned by a Syrian company.
The crew consisted of 18 individuals from India, Syria, and Egypt. The Mogadishu Port Authority confirmed that all crew members survived; they were safely evacuated from the vessel and transported to Mogadishu by maritime police boats.
The Port Authority stated that the crew is currently in their care, with accommodation, food, and other essential services provided while arrangements are finalized for their repatriation. To safeguard the vessel and its cargo, maritime police boarded the MV JACUAR and have taken charge of its security.
The Port Authority also noted that access to the vessel has been restricted—with unauthorized boarding prohibited—to prevent risks to the ship, the cargo, and the site where it ran aground.
A statement from the Mogadishu Port Authority revealed that, to date, no marine pollution resulting from the incident has been reported or observed.
