Authorities in Brazil have begun an investigation into the background of a disabled vessel that had been adrift for more than 20 days off the coast of the northern state of Amapa.
The vessel, identified as the 1945-built, Tanzanian-flagged Latifa, was found to have onboard working conditions that a local prosecutor's office has described as "slave-like."
The vessel was en route to Montevideo in Uruguay when she suffered a propulsion malfunction, which then caused her to drift. The captain sent out a distress call in late March, and the vessel was finally brought to a local port in mid-April.
Authorities said that the vessel's crew had nearly run out of food and water by the time they were rescued off the coast by a responding Brazilian Navy ship.
The vessel's crew included one Belgian and seven Venezuelan nationals. Brazilian prosecutors said the onboard conditions were unsanitary with signs of insect infestation.
Local officials are working to determine whether the vessel had been abandoned by its owners.
Latifa was reportedly used for salvage and pollution control duties prior to being acquired by her current owners.