Merchant ship catches fire and sinks in the Black Sea: all crew members rescued
28.08.2026 - 10:57
On Thursday, August 27, at around 7:00 p.m., the Dominican Republic-flagged merchant vessel Progress IV caught fire and sank in Romania’s exclusive economic zone.
The incident occurred 20 nautical miles southeast of the city of St. George, Romanian media reported.
The Romanian Coast Guard received a report from the MRCC Constanta and quickly intervened.
Romanian President Nicos Dan confirmed that all crew members had been rescued, noting that the incident occurred in Romanian territorial waters.
“The vessel was hit and apparently sank. At the moment, we do not know who did it and why. An investigation will be conducted, and we should not jump to conclusions,” Nicos Dan stressed.
The rescue operation was coordinated by the MAI 0201 vessel, and other rescue vessels were also mobilized. All 12 crew members were rescued, but one sailor was injured.
According to Romanian media, the conditions for the rescue operation were difficult: the wave height was approximately 2.5 meters.
