The US Coast Guard reported on Sunday that four people are still missing, with a further 20 rescued after a large cargo ship overturned and caught fire off the coast of Georgia. The Coast Guard said that there were 23 crew members and one pilot on board at the time of the incident.
#BreakingNews @USCG and other local agencies have multiple rescue assets on scene with the cargo vessel Golden Ray currently listing heavily near St. Simons Sound, Georgia. The crew of the vessel is being evacuated at this time. pic.twitter.com/rtA9ZfteGh
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) 8 сентября 2019 г.
According to the Coast Guard, the ship was carrying vehicles and was leaving the port of Brunswick, Georgia when it turned onto its side. Following the incident, traffic in the port was suspended.
#Update Evacuations of the Golden Ray’s crew continue. All vessel traffic in the Port of Brunswick is currently suspended unless approved by the @USCG Captain of the Port. #HappeningNow pic.twitter.com/F7JbdGCShU
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) 8 сентября 2019 г.
It is still unknown whether weather conditions could have caused the incident as the state was hit by Hurricane Dorian last week.
It is the second major incident involving a vessel in the US over the last two weeks. On September 2, a 75-foot dive boat caught fire and sank near Santa Cruz Island off the coast of California. Five people were rescued by the US Coast Guard, and the bodies of 33 victims were later recovered; one person remains missing.