Moroccan authorities have located the wreckage of the fishing boat Lalla Khadija, which disappeared off the coast of Safi on October 23 with five fishermen on board, as search operations continue to determine the fate of its crew.
Specialized underwater cameras confirmed that the vessel, registered under number 7-7016, sank approximately 15 nautical miles off the port of Safi, the Ministry Delegate in Charge of Fisheries said.
The search operation is coordinated by the National Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Bouznika and involves naval and aerial units from the Royal Navy, Royal Gendarmerie and Royal Air Force, alongside rescue vessels, commercial ships and fishing boats. Specialized diving teams are being deployed to investigate the wreckage and search for the missing crew members.
The ministry said it has opened an investigation into the circumstances and possible causes of the sinking.
The Lalla Khadija, a traditional fishing boat, was reported missing in late October, prompting a search that has continued for nearly two weeks.
Photo: Fishing boats in Essaouira, by Adam Harangozó via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. A context image that does not depict the missing vessel.