Mongolian-flagged vessel sinks in Black sea, 3 still missing

Mongolian-flagged vessel sinks in Black sea, 3 still missing

2010-10-11 22:58:11 GMT+7 (ICT)

KIEV, UKRAINE (BNO NEWS) -- A Mongolian-flagged vessel with a 12-person crew on Monday sunk between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, the Ukrainian Emergency Situations Ministry said.

The crew consists of 10 Russians and 2 Ukrainians, and as of 12:10 p.m. local time, 9 of the 12 sailors had been rescued, following an SOS signal. Nearby vessels were dispatched and have reported that three remain missing. The survivors were transported to a hospital for treatment, and they are all expected fully recover.

Vasily, the Mongolian-flagged vessel carrying scrap metal, sunk in the Kerch Strait, which is located in the north edge of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, separating the Kerch Peninsula in the west from the Taman Peninsula in the east. The vessel was facing harsh weather conditions when it sent out its SOS signal.

The Crimean city of Kerch is the most important harbor in the area, naming the strait after it. It was formerly known as the Cimmerian Bosporus.

In late 2007, four ships sank and six ran aground in storms in the Kerch Strait, leaving 23 sailors dead resulting in major oil and sulfur spills.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-10-11