A Turkish ship took the stricken tanker Mentor in tow overnight and is pulling it south, Varna port authority said. The vessel had been drifting out of control in the Black Sea, but it is no longer off the Bulgarian coast.

Romania's maritime authority and interior ministry said yesterday that the cargo ship had been left without a crew after an incident overnight off Neptun, near the Bulgarian border. A Turkish tug that was towing it hit the ship.

The background: Cargo ship with no crew drifts in Bulgarian waters after collision off Neptun

The tanker was due to be towed to the port of Constanta, but the rope snapped and it drifted with the current.

Earlier this morning, Mentor was still in Bulgarian territorial waters, off Cape Kaliakra. The Turkish ship joined late at night. The tanker is now far from Varna and is being towed south.

Preliminary data show nearly 11,000 tonnes of sunflower oil on board.