Three fishermen dead after collision with tanker

The "Gaz Century", enroute from Alexandria to Marsaxlokk, was in collision with the Tunisian 20-m-f/v "Hatem Kousai" on May 27, 2017, around 8 a.m. about 18 miles off Mazara del Vallo, Sicily. The fishing vessel sank on a water depth of 37 meters. Four crew members could be rescued and were taken on board the tanker, another man, Faisel Laghdifi, was found dead in the water in the afternoon. The bodies of two more were recovered from the wreck off Tre Fontane (Campobello di Mazara) on May 29. Divers of the fire rescue in Palermo found Chokri Laghdifi and Yassine Laghdifi in the stern of the wreck. The recovery operations have been particularly demanding because of the strong currents in the area that made the work of divers difficult.The Tunisian embassy in Rome and the consulate in Palermo assisted the castaways and in the repatriation of the dead. The Mazara del Vallo Coast Guard concluded the SAR operation after all bodies had been retrieved. The "Gaz Century" dropped anchor off Malta on May 29.