The merchant ship Khoryv has sunk in the Black Sea 13 nautical miles from the Romanian city of Constanta, outside Romanian territorial waters. The crew has filed a distress call after the vessel was allegedly hit by a drone. There is no official confirmation of the cause yet.
There were 13 people on board - 10 Ukrainian citizens and three Azerbaijani citizens. Nine have been rescued, one sailor has died and three are missing, the Romanian Maritime Administration said.
“A large-scale search and rescue operation is currently underway in the Black Sea,“ the Romanian Maritime Administration said.The rescue operation continues
The distress signal was received at around 10:00 by the Maritime Coordination Center of the Romanian Maritime Administration. Vessels of the Romanian Agency for the Rescue of Human Life at Sea and the Romanian Ministry of Interior were sent to the scene.
Rescue teams have recovered nine survivors and one body from the water. The search for the three missing crew members continues. An air operation by helicopter was not possible due to adverse weather conditions and low visibility.
The Khoryv was flying the flag of the Comoros. Romanian authorities are coordinating search and rescue operations, and at this time the alleged drone strike remains an unconfirmed version of the incident.
Sources: bta.bg, hotnews.ro