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Fatal stabbing of Filipino seafarer was suicide, says shipowner

Athens: The fatal stabbing of a Filipino seafarer onboard a containership is thought to have been a suicide, the vessel’s owner told Splash today.

The man was found dead on Sunday onboard the handysize containership Elbella (1,740 dwt, built 2006), owned by Greece’s Eastern Mediterranean Maritime.

The man’s body had been stabbed several times and was found in a pool of blood. Two knives were found next to the body, Maltese press reports say. An autopsy is underway.

The Malta-flagged boxship had just arrived from Turkey, but has since been released by port authorities because investigations pointed to suicide, Eastmed told Splash. The shipping company is still waiting for the official results of the autopsy.

Recent research from the UK’s Swansea University shows that seafaring is the career with the world’s second highest suicide rate after coal mining.

Last month, shipping charity the Sailors’ Society warned that severe mental health issues affect many serving onboard vessels today. The recent Germanwings tragedy should serve as a “wake-up call” to the shipping industry, the charity said.

Holly Birkett

Holly is Splash's Online Editor and correspondent for the UK and Mediterranean. She has been a maritime journalist since 2010, and has written for and edited several trade publications. She is currently studying for membership of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers. In 2013, Holly won the Seahorse Club's Social Media Journalist of the Year award. She is currently based in London.
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