Containers From Sunken Contship Jet Wash Ashore in Bulgaria
Containers from the sunken containership Contship Jet have begun washing ashore on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, and Bulgarian authorities have warned ships in the area. The Greek-owned ship, operating for Zim, sank on 29 October about 16 nautical miles off the Bulgarian coast, around 12 hours after it was hit by three sea drones.
The ship had 421 containers on board. Its cargo manifest listed dangerous goods, including flammable liquids and gases, non-flammable gases and lithium-ion batteries, while other reports said much of the cargo was general goods, including Christmas items bound for Romania. More than 20 containers are believed to have fallen overboard.
By 1 November, at least four containers were drifting. The first came ashore and lodged in rocks; local media said it held Christmas trees. A frame carrying a large tank, thought to be empty, also drifted to the shore. On Monday night another container became stuck near Tsarevo, a town on Bulgaria’s southern Black Sea coast close to the Turkish border. The Bulgarian Navy planned to inspect it, but shallow water and rough seas made it hard to reach. Officials said recovery is not possible in the current sea conditions. Fuel is still on board the wreck, and its depth is not yet known.
All 14 Filipino crew members of Contship Jet were rescued after the attack and have since returned home.
Drifting and half-submerged containers are a serious collision hazard, especially at night and for smaller vessels. Watchkeepers on ships trading off Bulgaria and Romania need to keep a sharp lookout, follow local navigational warnings and report any containers they sight to the coastal authorities.
