Syria has demanded an independent and transparent investigation into the sinking of the cargo ship “Alpha Watan“ in the Black Sea off the coast of Bulgaria. The request has been sent to the International Maritime Organization and the Bulgarian maritime authorities, Mazen Alloush, a representative of the Syrian General Directorate for Borders and Customs, told AFP.
On board the vessel, which was sailing under the flag of Togo, there were 10 people - nine Syrian sailors and one Egyptian. The fate of all of them remains unknown. The requested investigation should clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident, as well as the reasons for the termination of the rescue operation.
Search terminated without finding sailors
Drones hit two merchant ships in the Black Sea on Tuesday night. After the attack, one of the ships sank, and Bulgarian rescuers have suspended the search for its crew. Neither survivors nor bodies were found during the operation.
“There is no trace of the sailors“, said Rumen Nikolov, director of “Emergency and Rescue Activities“ at the Executive Agency “Maritime Administration“. An overturned boat, three life rafts and debris from the sunken ship's equipment were found on the surface.
The Syrian representative said the investigation should also establish why the search was called off after no trace of the crew was found. Bulgarian authorities have not yet established the origin of the drones involved in the attack.
18 sailors rescued from the other ship
A second merchant ship was also hit in the same attack. Its crew of 18 Turkish and Indian sailors were rescued.
The incident occurred in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. This is the first such incident in the zone. Currently, confirmed data indicates the sinking of the “Alpha Watan“, the search has been called off, and the fate of its ten-member crew is unknown, while responsibility for the attack and the origin of the drones remain unclear.