4,000 Sheep and Goats Die After Livestock Carrier Catches Fire And Sinks Off Oman

Around 4,000 sheep and goats died after a live export vessel caught fire and sank off the coast of Oman while travelling from Somalia to the United Arab Emirates, according to reports.

The vessel, MSV Haji Ali, was carrying the animals from Berbera in Somalia to Sharjah in the UAE when a fire broke out on board. The ship later sank.

All 14 crew members were rescued by the Oman Coast Guard. However, the animals remained trapped inside the vessel and are believed to have died from drowning, smoke inhalation or the fire.

The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Animal welfare groups said the sheep and goats were unable to escape because they were confined below deck in crowded conditions common on live export voyages.

World Animal Protection said the incident highlights the risks linked to transporting live animals over long distances by sea.

Michelle Baxter Wickham, Head of Food Systems Strategy at World Animal Protection, said the animals would have suffered severe distress in their final moments while trapped aboard the vessel.

The organisation said animals transported on live export ships can face extreme heat, overcrowding, exhaustion, disease and injury during long sea journeys.

It added that routes through the Middle East can be especially difficult because of high temperatures.

The incident follows other problems involving livestock vessels in recent years, including the Spiridon II, where thousands of cattle were stranded at sea last year.

Reports at the time said many animals died or gave birth while stuck on board.

World Animal Protection and other organisations are calling on governments to end long-distance live animal exports and support alternatives that do not require animals to be transported by sea over long distances.

Reference: worldanimalprotection