Iliyana Yotova canceled her visit to Veliko Tarnovo due to the incident with two merchant ships in the Bulgarian economic zone of the Black Sea. The head of state was supposed to participate in the presentation of the results of the archaeological research and restoration of the Trapezitsa hill at 11:00.
According to initial information, the ships ALFA WATAN, flying the flag of Togo, and ABLE, registered under the flag of Palau, were damaged. ALFA WATAN suffered severe structural damage and sank east of the Bulgarian coast. There is currently no confirmed information about the fate of its crew.
A fire broke out on board the ABLE, after which the entire 18-member crew abandoned the vessel. The Bulgarian ferry DIOSCURIA was diverted to the area and took the sailors on board. Among the evacuees are the wounded, who were provided with first aid.
The government information service reported:
„Prime Minister Rumen Radev is convening a meeting with representatives of the institutions in connection with the two ships hit by drones in the Bulgarian economic zone in the Black Sea.“The meeting is expected to discuss the actions of the services and the rescue operation.
There are different versions of the cause
The version of a drone attack was reported as initial information, but has not yet been finally confirmed by the Bulgarian maritime authorities. „Flagman“ also points to another version, according to which the two ships may have collided near Sulina, Romania. The difference between the reports remains unclear.
It has been confirmed that one ship sank, and 18 sailors were evacuated from the other. The next steps are related to clarifying the cause of the incident, establishing the fate of the ALFA WATAN crew and the medical evacuation of the injured.
Sources: dnes.bg, bta.bg, flagman.bg