Crew Evacuated After Explosion on Ship in Black Sea

Crewmembers were evacuated after an explosion on a ship off Sulina, Romania, early on September 20, according to ARSVOM, a Romanian maritime rescue agency.

Footage and images released by ARSVOM show the Togo-flagged cargo vessel SEAMA, which was in the Black Sea when the explosion happened, according to marine-tracking information.

A Romanian Naval Authority official said there was no indication the explosion was caused by a mine, adding that divers would investigate, the Romanian outlet Digi24 reported.

ARSVOM union leader Robert Robescu said he believed the ship’s destination was Ukraine, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

“As far as I understand, the ship was carrying bulk cement to Izmail, but during this period many ships make temporary berths in the road of Sulina port for safety reasons,” he said, according to a machine translation.

This has not been confirmed by Storyful.

ARSVOM said 12 people were on board, while RFE/RL placed the number higher, at 15. Credit: ARSVOM via Storyful

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