Turkey has announced the sinking of a cargo ship flying the Russian flag off its Black Sea coast and reports of human casualties.
Anadolu Agency reported today that Turkey confirmed the sinking of the cargo ship near Bartın province's Black Sea coast, resulting in human losses in the northern part of the country this Sunday. The agency added that Turkish authorities are working to rescue the crew of the stricken ship, estimated to be 15 sailors, who are currently on three lifeboats.
The agency noted that authorities are facing difficulties in the rescue operation due to adverse weather conditions. It was reported that the Ministry of Defense has sent a frigate to the incident area to assist in the search and rescue operation.
The governor of the province, Sinan Güner, informed reporters that the crew of the ARVİN ship, which sank off the coast of İnköy, consists of 13 sailors, all of whom are Russian nationals. So far, five of them have been rescued, and the bodies of two others have been recovered.
The Russian embassy in Turkey announced that it is working to uncover the circumstances of the incident and the fate of the ship's crew.
