Seven missing after two tankers catch fire in Romanian Black Sea waters
publishers 22articles 23first reported 15 Oct, 01:20 UTCdeveloping since 15 Oct · 8 editions
Romanian rescuers were searching Thursday for seven crew members missing from one of two chemical tankers that caught fire overnight in the country’s territorial waters in the Black Sea.
The San Marino-flagged *Wine Trader* issued an emergency alert while anchored near the mouth of the Sulina Canal, which links the Danube River to the Black Sea. Five of its 12 crew members were rescued, while seven remained missing. Romania’s Interior Ministry deployed two Black Hawk helicopters and two vessels carrying medical personnel, but said large waves were preventing rescuers from operating safely.
Hours earlier, the Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker *Yara J* caught fire in the same area. All crew members aboard that vessel were reported safe.
The fires followed incursions by Russian drones into Romanian airspace on Wednesday, but Romanian officials have not linked the drones to either incident. Defence Minister Radu Miruta said an investigation was under way to determine whether a drone struck a vessel.
Both tankers had been anchored near the Sulina Canal, where ships commonly wait because of congestion or poor weather. The incidents followed drone strikes on at least five cargo ships near Romania and Bulgaria during the previous 10 days, in which at least 23 sailors were reported lost. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said European Union leaders would discuss a proposed moratorium on attacks against civilian vessels in the Black Sea.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 3 articles, 3 with the publisher's own text; 3 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 6 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 22
- Source articles
- 23
- Given to the writer
- 3, 3 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 3
- This version written
- 6 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →