Syria Demands Investigation Into Cargo Ship Sinking in Black Sea
· World · Al Jazeera, Reuters
Syria has called for an independent investigation into the sinking of the Togolese-flagged cargo ship Alfa Watan in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. The vessel went down on Tuesday, leaving 10 crew members—nine Syrians and one Egyptian—unaccounted for. During the same incident, the Palau-flagged vessel Able was struck and set ablaze, though 18 Turkish and Indian crew members were successfully rescued. Syrian port authorities have requested that the International Maritime Organization and Bulgarian officials clarify why search and rescue operations were suspended before the missing sailors were located. It remains unclear who carried out the attack amid ongoing maritime hostilities in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the escalating risks to civilian commercial shipping in the Black Sea, directly impacting the safety of international crews, including Indian nationals working on these vessels.
Read the original report — Al Jazeera
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