Explosion hits merchant vessel in Black Sea

An explosion has occurred on a vessel sailing in the Black Sea near the Danube arm of Sulina.

Dan Ikim, head of the Tulcea port district administration, said that on the order of the captain of the Togo-flagged vessel, all 12 crew members had been taken to the port of Sulina and were undergoing medical examinations, according to Agerpres news agency.

"The causes of the explosion are still unknown," Ikim said. - The port administration has launched an investigation to determine them. The Defence Ministry will determine whether the explosion was caused by a mine," he said.

Representatives of the Coast Guard and the Romanian Agency for Saving Lives at Sea participated in the operation to rescue the crew of the merchant vessel.