Ship catches fire in Black Sea near Romania, 8 people missing

 

A vessel sailing under the flag of San Marino caught fire in the Black Sea near Romania on Thursday morning, with eight of the 12 crew members missing, Romanian media reported.

The accident occurred some 13 nautical miles south-east of Sulina, the Romanian Naval Authority announced. Twelve people were on board the vessel. Four were safe, while eight others were still missing.

A search-and-rescue operation was underway.

This is the latest incident involving ships in the Black Sea, which has recently seen drone attacks. Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker Yara J, anchored in Romania's territorial waters, was reportedly struck by a drone and caught fire on Wednesday.

xinhua