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Bulgaria asks Turkey to help save ship survivors
28 Sep 2008 11:40:51 GMT
 Source: Reuters
SOFIA, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Bulgaria called on Turkey to help it rescue two survivors adrift on a life raft on Sunday after a North Korean-registered cargo ship with 10 crew on board sank in rough waters in the Black Sea, Bulgarian authorities said.

Two of the crew, which consisted of nine Ukrainian and one Russian seamen, sent a text message to a family member in Ukraine late on Saturday, said Nikolay Apostolov head of Bulgaria's Maritime Administration Agency.

Rescuers managed to talk to one of the survivors on Sunday morning but had not found the two men yet as they most probably were in Turkish territorial waters or on the Turkish Black Sea coast, Apostolov said.

"We sent an official request to Ankara for Turkey to take part in the rescue operations and let our ships in their waters," he said.

The Tolstoy, which carried 2,500 tonnes of metal scarp and was sailing from Russia to Turkey, sank early on Saturday some 12 miles off Cape Emine on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast. It issued no SOS call, officials said.

Seven Bulgarian ships and a helicopter are taking part in the rescue operations on Sunday but have not found any other survivors so far. Rescuers have also not found any bodies.

Efforts to save the crew were hampered by stormy conditions on Saturday.

The vessel was owned by an Ukrainian company and sailed under the North Korean flag, Bulgarian authorities said. (Reporting by Anna Mudeva; Editing by Matthew Jones)


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A rescue worker stands on board a rescue ship near Cape Emine, September 28, 2008, as seven Bulgarian ships and a helicopter take part in the rescue operation for a North ...


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Last updated:Sun Sep 28 11:43:12 2008