12 Missing After Two Freighters Lost in Black Sea Storm

Two coastal freighters were lost in a severe storm at the port of Eregli, Turkey on Sunday, with one crewmember missing. The cargo ship Kafkametler was caught in severe winds and seas just outside the port, drifted onto a breakwater, and sank, with all 12 crewmembers missing. The storm had peak winds of 75 knots and extreme wave heights, making search and rescue activities impossible until the weather improved.

A second ship, the river-sea class coastal freighter Pallada, also broke in two after dragging anchor in the storm and drifting to the waterfront at Eregli. However, all 13 crewmembers were safely rescued by first responders on shore. A third ship, the Sormovskiy 45, also went adrift but was rescued by a harbor tug. Kafkametler had previously hit a mine just six weeks ago, but was unharmed and had continued on her voyage before being lost in the storm.

The severe storm at Eregli, Turkey caused the loss of two coastal freighters and posed significant challenges for search and rescue efforts. The cargo ship Kafkametler and river-sea class coastal freighter Pallada both suffered damage in the storm, with Kafkametler sinking and all crewmembers missing, while Pallada broke in two but all 13 crewmembers were safely rescued. The storm also caused another ship, the Sormovskiy 45, to go adrift, but it was rescued by a harbor tug. The adverse weather conditions made it impossible to carry out search and rescue activities until the weather improved.

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