Five crew members from the ship that caught fire in the Black Sea were transported to the hospital

Five people were evacuated from a commercial vessel engulfed by a fire in the Black Sea and transported to Constanța by helicopter. The incident was reported Thursday morning, approximately 14 nautical miles from Sulina, while eight crew members remain missing.

The helicopter landed at POA Constanța, carrying the five people and a UPU-SMURD medical team. According to the initial assessment, one of the crew members had burns to the scalp, while another person had mild smoke inhalation. The other three showed no visible signs of trauma. All were taken over by SMURD crews and ambulances and transported to hospital.

Rescuers are preparing a search operation inside the damaged vessel to identify the missing people and any injured persons who may be below deck. A second Black Hawk helicopter is expected to winch the specialized team from the FIFI vessel.

The Coast Guard is participating with a vessel, while the boat initially sent out withdrew due to unfavorable weather and its small size. The commercial vessel is sailing under the flag of San Marino, and the causes of the fire are unknown. Authorities are also considering the possibility that it was hit by a drone.