A fishing boat in the port of Tripoli after being hit by a cargo ship at sea on May 12, 2023. (Courtesy of: Michel Hallak)
BEIRUT — One person was injured after a fishing boat collided on Friday with a cargo ship off the coast of Tripoli, L'Orient Today's correspondent in the region reported.
Tripoli port director Ahmad Tamer confirmed the incident and said that an investigation was underway. He added that the cargo ship company would pay compensation to the fishermen, whose boat was partially destroyed.
Tamer said that no official information could be released on the matter until the army issued a final report.
The owner of the fishing boat, Ali Taleb, told L'Orient-Le Jour Friday: "We were moored almost a kilometer from the coast of Tripoli, and had cast our fishing nets ... Suddenly, we saw a huge cargo boat heading towards us."
Stern section of a fishing boat, in the port of Tripoli, after being hit by a cargo ship at sea on May 12, 2023. (Courtesy of: Michel Hallak)
"We first tried to shout, make signs and throw light signals, but there was nothing to do," Taleb said. "One of the passengers then got scared and threw himself overboard to avoid a possible shock. On our side, we tried, in vain, to dodge the ship, but it was already too late."
The man at the back of the fishing boat, in charge of the steering wheel, was seriously injured, Taleb added.
The men were rescued by the Lebanese Army along with the rest of their wooden boat. The cargo ship reportedly left the scene.
"It belongs to a Greek company, and its captain is a Greek national," according to Taleb's understanding of the ongoing investigation. The port director declined to comment on the ship captain's nationality.
Ali Taleb, a father of five, said he mourned the loss of the boat, which was his only means of livelihood and his family's sole source of income. He says he is unable to cover the cost of repairing the damage, which he estimates at $10,000.
According to him, the accident filled the boat with water, tore the fishing nets and destroyed the engine.
The Lebanese Army did not immediately respond to requests for comment.