An Indian engineer on the cargo ship ABLE, who was hurt in an attack in the Black Sea on Tuesday, 6 October, is in a coma in intensive care at the Naval Hospital in Varna. Varna regional governor Mario Smarkov said his condition is very serious.
All 18 crew members of ABLE were rescued. Two were rushed to Varna: one with severe burns and the other with a head injury. The second of the two, a Turkish citizen, is now in very good condition. The other 16 sailors were brought in later and given medical checks. None has serious injuries, but they are exhausted and under heavy stress. They are stable and out of immediate danger.
The Bulgarian ferry DIOSCURIA reached ABLE first, and its crew took the sailors off. The more seriously injured men were moved to a Navy vessel, while the rest reached Varna on a Border Police ship. The rescue was done in stages, in calm seas and with no further incidents.
The attack in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone hit two cargo ships. ABLE was sailing south with grain. The other ship, ALFA WATAN, was heading north. It was critically damaged and sank east of the Bulgarian coast. There is no final information on its cargo. The search for its crew continues today, so far with no survivors found.
The authorities are still working out where the attack came from and what weapons were used. Officially, it has not been established who is behind it.
A rescued Turkish sailor from ABLE says the blow came from under the water. He thinks a Russian underwater bomb was used, because the ship was carrying Ukrainian cargo. Investigators have not confirmed this version.
Samples of sea water have been taken near Cape Kaliakra, Byala and Sozopol to show whether there is any pollution.