One seafarer has died and three remain missing after the Comoros-flagged cargo ship Khoryv caught fire and capsized in the Black Sea off Romania on Friday, October 23, prompting a search and rescue operation, according to the Romanian Naval Authority via SAFETY4SEA.
Source: SAFETY4SEA (Romanian Naval Authority)
The incident occurred approximately 13 nautical miles east of Constanța, outside Romania's territorial waters, and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center received an alert at around 10:00 a.m. local time. The vessel had 13 crew members on board — 10 Ukrainian and three Azerbaijani nationals — and Romania's Ministry of Interior said the ship sustained extensive damage and capsized, with an imminent risk of sinking, SAFETY4SEA reported.
Source: SAFETY4SEA
Euronews reported the same figures from the Romanian Naval Authority: rescue vessels recovered nine people alive and one body from the water, three other crew members are still missing, and the vessel is reported to have sunk. Adverse weather and reduced visibility prevented a helicopter rescue operation, Euronews said.
Source: Euronews
A nearby commercial vessel assisted in the emergency response, and the Romanian Agency for Saving Human Life at Sea (ARSVOM) said its rescue vessel SAR Artemis was dispatched from the Port of Constanța after a request from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center at approximately 10:15 a.m., SAFETY4SEA reported.
Romanian media and maritime reports say the Khoryv may have been struck by a drone and a fire broke out on board. Authorities have not officially confirmed what hit the ship. JNews reported the vessel was sailing from the Turkish port of Ereğli toward Sulina, Romania.
The incident is the latest in a series involving merchant ships in the western Black Sea in recent weeks, where drones believed to be Russian have struck ships off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, Euronews reported. Search and rescue operations for the three missing sailors are continuing.