Iran's Nournews media outlet reports that a warship that capsized at the Port of Bandar Abbas earlier this week has sunk at its moorings after being repositioned. An investigation revealed that the rope holding the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN) frigate IRIS Sahand broke during the repositioning attempt, causing the ship to submerge even further at the port.
The rebalancing of the frigate was reportedly completed "with great difficulty." This approach had been attempted after officials determined that the vessel can still be refloated and repaired, though no timeline has been provided to confirm when it will be returned to service.
The capsizing of Sahand occurred on Sunday, July 7, when the ship tilted to port and became partially submerged as repairs were being carried out on its propulsion system. Several people suffered injuries as a result of the mishap and were brought to hospital.
The capsizing has been attributed to a "technical failure" that caused the frigate to take on water and tilt. The extent of the damage caused by the capsizing was still being assessed when the recent sinking occurred.