The search operation for the crew of the cargo ship Alfa Watan in the Black Sea has begun. This ship sank along with a second vessel following a drone attack. According to reports, the incident occurred at 3 AM local time (2 AM CET) about 70 nautical miles east of the city of Biala in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone.
Details of the Incident and the Ships
The cargo ship Alfa Watan, sailing under the Togolese flag, was en route to the Romanian port of Sulina. The second ship, which was flying the Palauan flag, was transporting grain. In this incident, the crew of the Alfa Watan has completely disappeared, and it is still unclear how many people were on board.
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The Bulgarian ship Dioscuria, which was near the incident area, witnessed the explosion on the first ship and went to the scene. In this operation, a lifeboat capsized and several life jackets were found, but none of the crew of the Alfa Watan were located.
Rescue Efforts and Status of the Second Ship's Crew
In a separate incident, the second ship caught fire, and all 18 crew members, including 11 Turks and 7 Indians, were rescued by the Dioscuria. Two of these crew members were taken to the hospital, one for burns and the other for head injuries. The other 16 were safely brought to shore.
Currently, the search and rescue operation is being conducted under the supervision of the Bulgarian Maritime Rescue Coordination Center. Two helicopters have been dispatched to Varna to transfer rescue teams, and a Su-25 aircraft has also been sent to the area for aerial reconnaissance.
These incidents are recognized as the first attack on shipping in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. Bulgarian officials have not yet provided specific information about the attackers or details of the assault. Additionally, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has described these attacks as "completely unacceptable."
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