Dozens still missing :

Freighter sinks off Lebanon

LEBANON: A major international operation was under way on Friday to search for more than 50 people still missing after a freighter capsized in stormy seas off Lebanon.

One of the survivors pulled from the Mediterranean after the Panamanian-flagged freighter went down off the north coast of Lebanon on Thursday said the British captain had been killed.

Rescuers have so far recovered 25 people from the Danny F II, which was on its way to Syria from Uruguay with more than 80 passengers and crew including Pakistanis and Filipinos, and a cargo of thousands of sheep and cattle. A rescued crew member was quoted by a Lebanese security official as saying the captain had died. Two bodies recovered from the sea were being taken to the northern port of Tripoli, the official said, without giving more details.

Two of those pulled from the water were Philippine and Pakistani nationals, a rescue official said.

“They were very scared and cold when we pulled them out of the water,” he told AFP.

UN, Syrian and Lebanese navy rescue boats continued the search early Friday along with three vessels sent by a UN peacekeeping force stationed off Lebanon. A British rescue helicopter also flew from Cyprus for backup on Thursday night. But rescue efforts were hampered by severe rain and thunderstorms that lashed Lebanon Thursday and Friday “The sea conditions are rough and we need to find the survivors quickly TRIPOLI, Friday, AFP