A seafarer has died on a reefer stuck off Djibouti following a breakdown.

The Ukrainian from Ochakov suffered a stroke on the 525,624-cbf Thorn1 (built 1991) in temperatures above 38C, the Dumskaya website reported.

The vessel, with 11 crew on board, was heading to India where it was due to be recycled, but it lost power.

Alexandra Korovnik, daughter of ship's cook Gennady, told Dumskaya that the ship broke down on 1 July.

The crew, 10 of whom are Ukrainians, found themselves without air conditioning, fridges and food.

Supplies spoiled

"On June 17, my dad and five other people flew to Turkey. They had a contract to ferry the ship to India," Korovnik added.

"When they passed near Djibouti, they ran out of fuel, their life support systems failed, the food has gone bad," she said.

The vessel was adrift for several days, but was later towed to an anchorage 5 km from shore by Djibouti authorities, Korovnik added.

Two seafarers have left the vessel, but the rest remain on board.

A doctor has attended the crew.

Officials in attendance

A Ukrainian consulate official is at the site, as is a representative of the shipowner, named as Iliana Shipping, which is registered in Liberia.

The reefer, the former Horncap, was reported sold by Horn-Linie of Germany in April to an undisclosed buyer and then sold for scrap into India at the end of June.

VesselsValue assesses the ship as worth $3.1m on a scrap basis.

The ship has no port state control detentions on its record since 2007.

In April, an inspection in Guatemala revealed no deficiencies.