About 140 nautical miles east of Varna - in the Black Sea, the Cameroonian-flagged ship EILEEN sank, the Ministry of Transport and Communications reported.
At 1:14 p.m. on Sunday, a signal was received at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) - Varna about a cargo ship with a hole in the side and incoming water. The ship EILEEN is sailing under the Cameroonian flag and is located in the Bulgarian search and rescue sea area, about 140 nautical miles east of Varna. The crew, consisting of 10 Ukrainian sailors, left the ship with two life rafts. Immediately after receiving the signal, the MSCC began a rescue operation.
According to initial information, the vessel has listed (tilted) and the crew cannot independently control the situation.
The MSCC – Varna has taken immediate action to send rescue equipment to the scene of the incident. A border cutter from Bulgaria, a vessel from Romania, an auxiliary vessel from Turkey, located nearby, as well as a helicopter from the Bulgarian Navy have been dispatched to the area. The distressed sailors have been taken aboard the Turkish vessel.