site.btaUPDATED Two Vessels Collide in Black Sea Off Cape Shabla

Two vessels collided in the Black Sea east of Cape Shabla, Hristo Hristov, the head of the National Board for the Investigation of Accidents in Air, Water and Rail Transport, told BTA. The accident happened shortly after 2am on Wednesday. Nobody was injured and no fuel was spilled in the collision. There was only damage to the vessels. 

More details about the event were provided later on Wednesday by the director of the Varna Maritime Administration, Valentin Enchev.

One of the ships was а Russian-flagged cargo carrier. After the impact, it headed for the port of Varna first to receive technical assistance. 

The other vessel sailed under the flag of Palau. After the crash it left the scene in violation of a number of international maritime conventions, which require exchange of information and interaction, said Valentin Enchev. The vessel is now headed for the Bosphorus, where it is expected to be stopped by the Turkish authorities as they have been informed about the case. 

The integrity of the Russian-flagged vessel is compromised and water is seeping in. The condition of the ship was assessed and it was decided that it could be taken for repairs in Varna, Enchev said. The ship's cargo of empty tanks has already been unloaded. The vessel owner believes that doing to the repairs in Varna is the best possible option.

An analysis is yet to be made to establish what caused the collision. One possible cause is violation of the navigation rules.