Two sailors were more seriously injured in the incident with merchant ships in the Black Sea, east of Cape St. Atanas and the town of Byala. One has thermal trauma, and the other has a head injury. The remaining 16 people are in good condition, the Bulgarian National Radio reported.
The injured were provided with first aid on board the Bulgarian ferry DIOSCURIA. An ambulance from the Naval Hospital in Varna is traveling to Byala, from where the sailors are to be transported for medical care.
18 sailors evacuated from a burning ship
The rescue operation is being carried out after drone attacks against merchant vessels in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. There is still no official confirmation of the identity of the drones.
According to preliminary data, the targets were the ships ALFA WATAN, flying the flag of Togo, and ABLE, registered under the flag of Palau. ALFA WATAN suffered critical structural damage and sank east of the Bulgarian coast.
A fire broke out on board the ABLE. The entire 18-member crew was evacuated and taken aboard the DIOSCURIA, which was diverted to assist the distressed sailors. According to the Bulgarian National Radio, rescue teams are continuing their work, and there is no official information about the crew of the sunken ship.
The ships were dozens of miles from the coast
According to the Bulgarian National Radio, the vessels were about 70 nautical miles, or approximately 130 kilometers, out to sea. The distance complicates rescue operations and medical evacuation.
The incident is the first reported attack on vessels in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. The causes of the incident, as well as the origin of the drones, are still being clarified.
Sources: dnes.bg, bnrnews.bg, bntnews.bg