A cargo ship caught fire and sank near the coast of Romania, Digi24 reports. The vessel was passing through the exclusive economic zone of our northern neighbor when it was "hit", according to the country's President Nikusor Dan.
Romanian coast guard ships quickly arrived at the scene of the incident and rescued the 12 sailors on board the vessel "PROGRESS IV", flying the flag of the Dominican Republic, "Focus" indicated. Another merchant ship nearby also participated in the rescue operation.
"This evening we had an event in Romanian territorial waters. A ship was hit. Fortunately, the crew members were saved. The coast guard intervened quickly, no one was injured“, said Nikusor Dan. “The ship was hit and it seems to have sunk. For the moment we do not know who attacked it and with what... There will be an investigation, it will be established, but it is not good to indulge in speculation“, added the Romanian head of state.
The search and rescue operation for the crew took place in difficult conditions, with waves approximately 2.5 meters high. But thanks to the coordination of the rescue services, all the sailors were retrieved from the sea alive, with one crew member suffering from a wound to his arm.