One feared dead in trawler fire off Mauritania

One person is presumed to have perished after a fire broke out on a Georgian-flagged fishing vessel off the coast of Mauritania on Friday, July 19.

The Ukrainian-owned trawler Ivan Golubets was sailing off Nouadhibou when the blaze erupted in its stern and quickly spread to the upper decks.

One crewmember, who has been identified only as a Ukrainian national, reportedly went missing as the fire raged on the vessel.

Ivan Golubets has since been taken under tow by another Georgian-flagged trawler as the search for the missing Ukrainian crewmember continues.

The extent of the damage caused by the fire has not yet been determined.