Rabat – Moroccan authorities are continuing search and rescue operations for five fishermen who went missing off the coast of Safi after their traditional fishing boat failed to return to port as expected, the Ministry of Maritime Fisheries announced on Sunday.
The fishermen were aboard a boat named Lalla Khadija, which left the port of Safi on Thursday for a fishing trip. The boat was expected to return the following day, but its owner alerted authorities at around 5 p.m. on Friday after it failed to arrive, according to the ministry.
Search operations began shortly after the alert, with the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center in Bouznika overseeing efforts to locate the missing vessel.
Authorities have mobilized rescue boats from the ports of Safi and Agadir, alongside fishing boats and commercial ships redirected toward the area where the vessel is believed to be.
Two helicopters belonging to the Royal Gendarmerie and the Royal Navy have also carried out several aerial searches to help locate the boat and its crew.
However, difficult weather and sea conditions have complicated the operation, the ministry said, adding that efforts continue with the participation of civilian and military services.
The authorities have also alerted fishing boats and commercial vessels operating in or passing through the area to help search for the missing fishermen.
As of Monday, the ministry had not announced any confirmed information about the location of the boat or the fate of its crew. It said it would inform the public of further developments once reliable information becomes available.
Meanwhile, local reports say the five fishermen are still missing.
The disappearance has raised concern among the fishermen’s families and colleagues in Safi, where fishing is an important source of livelihood.
Authorities have not yet established the cause of the disappearance. The search is now focused on locating the vessel and bringing the five fishermen to safety.
