Stranded Tanker Washes Up Off Bulgarian Coast
A sanctioned tanker, crippled by a Ukrainian drone strike, has washed up on the Bulgaria shoreline after separating from the vessel towing it. The 150,000 dwt crude tanker Kairos (imo-9236004/”>IMO: imo-9236004/”>9236004) was hit by Ukrainian drones at the northern end of the Bosporus on the evening of Friday, November 28.
The aft portion of Kairos ignited following the attack and was not extinguished until November 30, Turkish officials confirmed. The Bulgarian News Agency reported that the tanker was then towed into Bulgarian waters before Bulgarian authorities saw the two vessels separate. Kairos was carried towards the Bulgarian coast by winds and the current.
Investigation Underway
Bulgaria’s Maritime Administration head of emergency rescue operations Rumen Nikolov told reporters that “diplomatic channels” would be required to understand why the tanker was towed into Bulgarian waters in the first place. The seafarers on board the tanker could not say why the tug stopped towing the tanker, Nikolov said, with the master and senior officers not on board.
Dispute Over Tug’s Role
Nikolov told the Bulgarian News Agency that Türkiye-flagged tug Timur Bey towed Kairos into Bulgarian waters. However, the tug’s owner told Lloyd’s List that was not the case. Instead, it said it was merely escorting Kairos and offered to provide electricity and a generator in case of emergency. “We made the offer twice, but there was no response,” the spokesperson told Lloyd’s List.
Crew Situation
Turkish authorities said they had evacuated all crew members from Kairos following the initial strike on November 28. The 10 seafarers on board are thought to be new crew members. Those seafarers are safe and have food and water for around three days. Kairos is empty, and despite the bad weather, Nikolov said the ship was stable, with no danger to the crew or environment.
Next Steps
The tanker would be towed to a safe place when the weather improved, Nikolov said. Lloyd’s List has attempted to contact the owner of Kairos but has not found adequate contact information.
Original Article: Sanctioned tanker stranded off Bulgarian coast — Lloyd’s List