Bulgaria has warned about the dangers posed by floating cargo from the sunken Contship Jet tanker, which sank in the Black Sea last week. This tanker sank approximately 16 nautical miles from the coast on October 29 and had 421 containers loaded at the time of the incident.
Details of the Tanker Sinking
The Contship Jet tanker sank about 12 hours after colliding with three naval drones while en route to Zim. Reports indicate that the ship was carrying hazardous cargo, including flammable liquids and gases, non-flammable gases, and lithium-ion batteries. Some reports also mention the presence of general cargo, including Christmas goods being sent to Romania.
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After the collision, the ship listed heavily and was moving south. Reports indicate that more than 20 containers fell into the sea during this incident. The sea conditions in the hours before the sinking were extremely unfavorable, which added to the existing problems.
Dangers from Floating Cargo
As of Sunday, November 1, at least four containers had been spotted in the Black Sea, but weather conditions made their recovery impossible. The first container that reached the shore was stuck among the rocks, and its contents were reported to be safe, but concerns grew when another container was seen floating with a large tank. Local officials stated that this tank is likely empty, but warnings increased after its sighting on the shore.
Another red container was also partially submerged, and on Monday, another container collided with the rocks near the shore of Tsarevo. The Navy announced that it would attempt to inspect this container on Tuesday despite the harsh weather conditions, but access to it is difficult due to shallow water and stormy waves. They are still discussing how to transfer this container to a safe location.
Government officials have warned about the dangers posed by the cargo of this ship and stated that the unfavorable sea conditions prevent the recovery of any containers or tanks. They hope to begin the process of retrieving the containers once the weather conditions improve.
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