As Many as 17 Missing After Cargo Ship Sinks Off Liberia

A woman reacts as she doesn't see a relative among the survivors of the sunken cargo ship Niko Ivanka who arrive at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Monrovia, Liberia, on July 19, 2021. Carielle Doe/AFP via Getty Images

MONROVIA—As many as 17 people were missing from a cargo ship that sank off the coast of Liberia over the weekend despite being barred from setting sail, the Maritime Commissioner said.

The Liberian-registered Niko Ivanka left the capital Monrovia on Saturday for a port in the West African country’s south, despite being under a detention order for failing to meet basic safety requirements.