Two Dead, 11 Rescued After Fire on Black Sea Vessel
A commercial vessel caught fire and later sank in Romania's exclusive economic zone; the cause of the blaze remains unconfirmed.
Two people have died and 11 crew members were rescued after a fire erupted on a commercial vessel in the Black Sea, Romanian authorities reported Monday. The vessel later sank within Romania’s exclusive economic zone.
The Coast Guard was alerted to the incident around 11 a.m. local time, according to the Interior Ministry. The ship was located approximately 30 nautical miles south of Sfantul Gheorghe in Tulcea County when the fire broke out.
While the cause of the fire has not been officially confirmed, Romanian news outlets reported that the vessel was Turkish and was carrying grain. These reports also suggested the ship may have been struck by a drone southeast of a Black Sea oil platform, but authorities have not corroborated this information.
Eleven crew members were successfully rescued from the water. Authorities also located two deceased individuals. A helicopter was utilized to airlift injured crew members to receive emergency medical care using a winch system.