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A fire broke out Friday evening aboard a foreign-flagged tanker off the coast of Kefken, in Kocaeli’s Kandira district in northwestern Türkiye, triggering a large-scale emergency response and raising concerns of a possible external attack in the Black Sea.
Türkiye’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure released updated information Saturday on the KAIROS and VIRAT vessels, which were affected by an explosion and an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) attack.
The ministry recalled that 25 crew members were evacuated from the empty tanker KAIROS after a fire broke out following an explosion while the vessel was en route from Egypt to Russia.
They were rescued by teams from the General Directorate of Coastal Safety and handed over to medical personnel at Sile Kovanagzi Pier.
Throughout the night, the tugboat Kurtarma-12 and the emergency response ship Nene Hatun continued efforts to extinguish the fire.
“There is no fire on the open deck of the vessel, while extinguishing and cooling operations continue in enclosed sections,” the statement said.
Environmental experts and a diving team remain on standby in the area for inspections once the fire is fully extinguished.
The ministry also shared the latest situation regarding the VIRAT ship, which was reported to have been struck by an unmanned surface vehicle in the Black Sea.
“A second attack occurred in the morning hours, causing minor damage to the starboard side,” the statement said.
No fire was reported on the vessel, and the crew’s health condition is good.
Rescue teams are waiting at a safe distance as there has been no request for assistance.
The ministry noted that the ship remains stable and the crew is in good condition.
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