A Comoros-flagged cargo ship carrying three Azerbaijani citizens sank in the Black Sea off Romania on Friday, leaving one crew member dead and three missing, Romanian authorities said.
Nine people were rescued from the Khoryv. Authorities had not disclosed the nationalities of the person who died or those still missing.
The ship issued a distress call about 13 nautical miles east of the Romanian port of Constanța. There were 13 people aboard: 10 Ukrainian citizens and three Azerbaijani citizens.
Romanian maritime authorities said the badly damaged vessel capsized and sank. Ten people were taken aboard another merchant ship, including nine survivors and the body of one crew member.
Search operations for the three missing crew members continued despite strong winds, high waves and poor visibility. Officials said conditions prevented a helicopter from joining the operation.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan said the ship had been struck by a drone and blamed Russia. Initial statements from maritime authorities, however, did not establish a final cause, and the drone’s origin had not been officially confirmed.
The sinking comes amid repeated attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea near Romania and Bulgaria, where NATO members have stepped up surveillance because of the war in Ukraine.
Sources: The Associated Press; Reuters; Report.az.