MONROVIA, Liberia – Liberia's Defense Ministry says it has dispatched Coast Guard personnel to investigate a tanker that washed ashore with no one onboard some 75 kilometers (47 miles) from Monrovia about a week ago.
Defense Minister Brownie Samukai said Tuesday officials are searching the maritime registry to try to determine the owner of the Tamaya 1. He says parts of the ship were burned.
Assistant Defense Minister David Dahn said the ship had been in distress but no passengers were on board when it ran aground. He said one of the ship's two lifeboats was still onboard, meaning the other may have been used by the crew.
He said the ship is believed to be an oil tanker and flew a Nigerian flag.
Liberia's 563-kilometer (350-mile) Atlantic Ocean coastline is largely under-patrolled.
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