A Bulgarian tanker named Mentor is drifting off the coast of Shabla after a tow operation from the Port of Constanta, Romania failed when the tug’s towlines broke, the Ministry of Transport and Communications said Wednesday.
The vessel is believed to be carrying around 11,000 tonnes of sunflower oil. The tugboat, Ramazan Bey, is transmitting signals via the Automatic Identification System, and its crew remains in contact with vessel traffic control services. Those services have instructed the tug to remain in the vicinity of the tanker.
The ministry’s press office said the situation is being monitored and assessed in coordination with the maritime administrations involved. Authorities have already established contact with the vessel’s owner and are gathering further information about the incident.
While the tug’s crew has confirmed that the towlines broke, details on why the failure occurred remain unconfirmed. How the drifting vessel will be secured or possibly towed again is also yet to be determined.
