On the evening of 14 October, a fire broke out on the tanker YARA J, flying the Comoros flag, in the Black Sea near the Romanian town of Sulina. The crew reported that a drone had likely struck the vessel, which was in Romanian territorial waters. The crew managed to extinguish the fire themselves, and there were no casualties. Meanwhile, the Romanian Ministry of Defence stated that the circumstances of the incident are still being investigated, and that radar systems did not detect a drone approaching the tanker.
What is known about the incident involving the YARA J tanker?
According to the publication «Military», citing Romanian and Bulgarian sources, the incident took place on the evening of 14 October, approximately 8–10 nautical miles from the town of Sulina, near the mouth of the Danube.
The tanker YARA J, which carries petroleum and chemical products, was at anchor in Romanian territorial waters. The vessel has the IMO registration number 9221803 and flies the flag of the Comoros.
At around 20:23, the crew reported a fire. The crew members stated that an aerial drone may have struck the upper part of the tanker, after which a fire broke out.
There were 17 crew members on board, including, according to preliminary information, nationals of Syria, India and Iran. The fire was quickly brought under control by the crew themselves. There have been no reports of any sailors killed or injured.
Romania has sent a rescue vessel to the tanker
Upon receiving the distress signal, the Romanian Maritime Coordination Centre organised a rescue operation.
At 20:25, a request for assistance was sent to the Agency for the Safety of Life at Sea. The specialised vessel SAR Apollo set off for the tanker. However, even before help arrived, the crew reported that the fire had been completely extinguished and that there was no danger to people. The rescue operation was subsequently called off.
According to a representative of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) in Romania Adriana Mihalciu, the tanker’s engines remained in working order, and the crew were safe.
It was expected that the YARA J would sail to the Romanian port of Constanța, where experts would be able to inspect the vessel and determine the nature of the damage.
