A Turkish-flagged general cargo ship that was sailing on Thursday in the Black Sea en route to Ukraine’s Izmail port did not sustain damage from an explosion after it ran into a sea mine, the Turkish maritime authority said.
“An explosion occurred 15-20 meters behind the Kafkametler ship en route to Izmail port from Batumi port while it was cruising off the coast of Romania/Sulina (port),” the authority said.
The ship continued sailing to its destination to deliver its cargo following checks and there was no evidence that the explosion was caused by a mine, it added.
The vessel hit the sea mine and sustained minor damage on Thursday, although the crew was safe.
The vessel’s Istanbul-based operator Kafkametler Maritime said it was currently on its way to Izmail port and ship congestion in the Danube channel meant it was moving slower. The company added that the crew were safe and the vessel did not need any maintenance.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.