ROBERTSPORT, Liberia, May 10 (UPI) — An oil tanker washed up on a beach on the west coast of Africa without a soul on board.
The 207-foot Panamanian-flagged Tamaya 1 was discovered in Robertsport, Liberia, Wednesday without any crew members.
The 1980s ship was last seen on April 22 as it was traveling southward toward Senegal after leaving the port of Dakar, according to MarineTraffic.com.
The Liberian national police and bureau of immigration inspected the ship after local residents noticed it.
The ministry of national defense determined it was gutted by fire.
It said the hatches were opened and it contained a mixture of oil and water. Only one of the two known rescue boats was found on the ship.
Information gathered by the Liberian Coast Guard, from the Maritime Regional Monitoring Rescue Coordination Center, quoted some fishermen that Tamaya 1 was observed to be in distress within Sierra Leonean waters.
A port authority insider told Australia’s news.com.au: “Our best bet is that the vessel’s owner might have gone broke and had no money to pay crew members … and therefore, the crew abandoned the ship.”
MarineTraffic.com said certain reports have linked the crew’s disappearance to a potential pirate attack.
Preston Veteran Gayflor of Farbric Radio in Liberia posted photos on his Facebook page.
