One dead, three missing after a ship was hit by drones in the Black Sea

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The structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are participating on Friday in a search and rescue operation for missing persons following an incident that occurred on board a commercial ship, under the flag of the Comoros Islands, located outside territorial waters, in the Black Sea.

At around 10:00, the border police of the Coast Guard were informed by the Maritime Coordination Center (MRCC) Constanta about a fire on board a commercial vessel, located approximately 13 nautical miles east of Constanta.

The merchant ship suffered major damage and capsized, with an imminent risk of sinking.

One dead, three missing

Of the 13 people on board, ten were recovered by another commercial vessel in the area, nine alive and one deceased. Three others are still missing.

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The nine rescued people were later taken over by the Coast Guard vessel from aboard the merchant ship that initially intervened to recover them.

Currently, the Coast Guard ship, together with a ship of the Romanian Agency for Saving Human Life at Sea (ARSVOM), is carrying out search and rescue activities to identify and recover missing persons.

Also, a helicopter from the General Aviation Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was pre-alert to support the operation, if necessary. At this time, weather conditions do not allow for aerial intervention.

At the same time, the intervention device in the Port of Constanta has been resized and includes four SMURD ambulances, a mobile intensive care unit, two special vehicles for personal and multiple casualty transport, as well as an advanced medical post.

According to unconfirmed information for now, it is the Sakis Antoniou ship, which was damaged and in danger of sinking.

Some sources claim that the ship may have already sunk after the incident. The rescue mission is underway, according to Ziua de Constanta .

Romania’s territorial waters extend 12 nautical miles from the shore, so, according to initial information, the incident occurred just beyond their limits.

Third serious incident in the Black Sea in October

On October 5, the Turkish ship Royad Mammadov, loaded with grain, was hit by drones near the Pescăruș platform and sank. Two sailors died and 11 crew members were rescued, according to the MIA.

On October 15, the San Marino-flagged Wine Trader was damaged 14 nautical miles off Sulina. ARSVOM sent the SAR ship Apollo on a mission, and five sailors were brought to Constanta by a Black Hawk helicopter.