Another ship caught fire near the coast of Romania, search for sailors ongoing

In the Black Sea near the Romanian port of Sulina on October 15, the commercial ship Wine Trader under the flag of San Marino caught fire. Of the 12 crew members, five were rescued, while seven are considered missing without a trace.

This was reported by the Romanian Maritime Administration. According to its data, at approximately 07:00, the vessel sent a distress signal due to a fire in the superstructure. At that time, Wine Trader was 13 nautical miles southeast of Sulina.

Wine Trader is a tanker designed for transporting chemical products. According to Romanian authorities, the vessel had no cargo on board at the time of the incident.

The Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs launched a large-scale search and rescue operation. Two Black Hawk helicopters equipped with systems for lifting people out of the water, rescue boats and ships were involved. Specifically, the specialized vessel SAR Apollo was dispatched to the scene of the accident.

The border police, the General Aviation Inspectorate and Romania's emergency services are taking part in the rescue operation. The work is complicated by rough seas. According to the Interior Ministry, due to large waves, evacuation is not always possible without risk to the crews and rescuers.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The Romanian authorities have not confirmed that the Wine Trader was hit by a drone.

This is the second incident involving commercial vessels near the Romanian coast in less than a day. On the evening of October 14, in the area of Sulina, the tanker Yara J under the flag of the Comoros caught fire. Its crew extinguished the fire on their own, and no one was injured. The cause of that fire is also being investigated.

The search for the missing sailors from Wine Trader continues. According to the latest statement from the Romanian Maritime Administration, five of the 12 crew members have been rescued.

Sources: Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Romanian Maritime Administration, Radio România Constanța