Freighter sinks en route to Lebanon

A Syrian freighter crippled by a crack in its hull sank in the Mediterranean on October 22, leaving five of its crew missing, presumed drowned. Five more members of the Zakaria's crew were rescued by a Syrian ship, Rajaa One, 30 Km west of Tartous.

It said Zakaria, which was on its way from Greece to Lebanon carrying chemicals used for making ceramics, had sustained a crack while in a Greek port. The crack was repaired, but the ship developed another.