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A Gaza-bound activist aid ship caught fire and issued an SOS, after what it claimed was a drone attack off the coast of Malta in international waters in the early hours of Friday, CNN reported.
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).
“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 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.
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.
Al Jazeera earlier reported that the ship was hit by an Israeli drone.
Israel has been blocking all aid into Gaza since March 2.
