Cape Town – One person died at sea, and five crew members remain missing following the sinking of the MW Leo vessel, near Mossel Bay.
The deadly incident occurred on Monday, 2 March 2026.
The MW Leo, registered under the Comoros flag, transmitted a distress signal reporting uncontrolled water ingress on Saturday evening, 28 February 2026.
At the time, the vessel was about 80 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay, on a single voyage from Durban to Nigeria.
The vessel is owned by the company called Magnet Energy Limited, based in Lagos, Nigeria.
The crew reportedly abandoned ship onto the veFERsel’s liferafts, and the vessel subsequently sank in the early hours of Sunday, 1 March 2026.
The vessel had 18 crew members on board, all confirmed to be of Nigerian nationality.
Twelve crew members have since been rescued alive.
One body has been recovered, with five crew members still missing.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and the Transport Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa have expressed their condolences to the bereaved family after one life was lost at sea.
They have also expressed messages of support to the families whose loved ones are still missing at sea.
A preliminary investigation has been initiated by the South African Maritime Authority.
The incident is being coordinated by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Cape Town.
The Federal Republic of Nigeria’s High Commissioner, HE Tope Ajayi, is kept abreast of the developments on an ongoing basis.
