11 Azerbaijani Crew Members Rescued from Sinking Cargo Ship off Turkish Coast

A total of 13 crew members, including 11 Azerbaijani nationals, were rescued after the Palau-flagged cargo vessel "Svetoslava" began taking on water and faced the risk of sinking off the coast of Kastamonu province in the Black Sea.

According to Hürriyet, the emergency began around 03:00 local time when water rapidly flooded the ship's hull and engine compartment, leaving the vessel adrift.

Following a distress call, Turkish Coast Guard units deployed two vessels and a rescue boat to the scene. The crew of the TCSG-96 boat located all 13 sailors — 11 citizens of Azerbaijan, one Turkish citizen, and one Russian citizen — who had evacuated the vessel via an enclosed lifeboat. The rescued crew members were brought ashore to the Inebolu Coast Guard pier and transferred to Inebolu State Hospital; the Turkish Ministry of Interior confirmed all are in good health.

N.Tebrizli