Six crew members of a cargo ship were killed after their vessel sank in rough waters off northern Turkey on Monday, January 7.
The PAN flagged general cargo ship VOLGO-BALT 214 was approximately 80 nautical miles off Samsun province and en route to the Russian port of Azov carrying 3,300 tonnes of coal when the crew sent out a distress signal at around 0810 local time.
The Turkish Coast Guard then immediately despatched two rescue boats, three helicopters, and a fixed-wing aircraft to render assistance. However, the vessel’s captain and five other crew members died before any of the rescuers arrived on scene.
The surviving seven crew members were brought out from the sea and rushed to hospital. One survivor has told local authorities that a powerful wave split the ship’s hull into two, causing it to sink.
The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
IMO: 8841644; 113m; 2,516 GRT. No former Names.
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