Eight Crew Missing After Two Tankers Catch Fire in Romanian Black Sea Waters
RIYADH, October 15 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - Rescuers searched on Thursday for eight crew members missing after two tankers caught fire overnight in Romanian territorial waters in the Black Sea, Romanian officials said. Both vessels were anchored near the entrance to the Danube River’s Sulina Canal.
Romania’s naval authority said it received an emergency alert from the San Marino-flagged Wine Trader. Eight of the tanker’s 12 crew members were missing, while four were safe.
The Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker Yara J had caught fire earlier. All its crew were safe, and Romanian authorities initially said it was unclear whether the vessel had been attacked.
Russian drones had entered Romanian airspace, officials said, but they did not explicitly link the incursions to the fires aboard the two ships.
The incidents followed drone strikes on at least five cargo ships near the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria over the previous 10 days, with at least 23 sailors lost, Reuters reported. Those strikes occurred just outside NATO members’ territorial waters, unlike the latest incidents.
The Sulina Canal is part of a major shipping route used by Ukraine as Russian attacks on its Black Sea ports have increased its reliance on Danube ports and routes near Romania and Bulgaria. Growing threats to shipping have raised concerns over grain supplies, with both Russia and Ukraine major exporters.
Source: Reuters.
