Two Seriously Injured Sailors from Drone-Hit Ship Transported to Varna; Bulgarian Rescuers Continue Search for Crew Members of One of the Ships

Two seriously injured sailors from one of the ships attacked by drones have been transported to Varna. An Indian sailor suffering from burns and the Turkish captain of a ship damaged in the drone attack in the Black Sea are being taken to medical facilities in the city. Bulgarian rescuers are continuing the search for sailors from the other vessel, which sank. There is still no official information that any survivors have been found.

• Rumen Radev on the attacked ships in the Black Sea: An absolutely unacceptable attack in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone

According to information for BNT News, the vessel ABLE, from which the injured sailors were rescued, was carrying grain to Istanbul.

The other vessel, ALFA WATAN, was sailing north and sank at the scene of the drone attack. There is still no information about what cargo it was carrying, making it impossible to assess the risk of pollution.

The rescue operation is continuing at the scene, with Bulgarian rescuers and vessels monitoring the area in search of possible survivors. So far, there is no official information that any sailors from the vessel have been found.

The first stage of the operation – receiving the two most seriously injured sailors – is concluding at the Port of Varna. Information from the medical facilities is expected.

Capt Dimitar Dimitrov, European Confederation of Associations of Sea Captains: “In this situation, the authorities responsible for disasters and emergencies, as well as the authorities monitoring our waters under Bulgarian control, must monitor all such objects and assess the risk – how dangerous they are and to what extent. They must take measures where possible. Every structure floating at sea has an owner, and it needs to be established whether that owner is still the owner and whether anyone could be operating there.”

• Two ships were hit by drones in Bulgarian waters; one sank

Mario Smyrkov, Varna Regional Governor: “By a fortunate coincidence, there was a Bulgarian vessel in the immediate vicinity of the ship that was hit, and it rescued the crew. They are on their way here and we expect them to arrive. One of the crew members suffered serious burns and will be taken to the burns clinic, while another has a head injury. The vessel that is still afloat – the one that did not sink – was carrying grain. There is no serious pollution, but I do not know what the other vessel was carrying.”

The remaining 16 crew members of the damaged vessel ABLE will also be brought to Varna. They will undergo medical examinations, and none is seriously injured. The shipowner has undertaken to accommodate them while their documents are being issued.