4 rescued from sunken ship near Turkish coast
KYIV. Dec 4 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Consulate General in Istanbul, Turkey, reports that the Ukrainian vessel Volgo-Balt 199, whose crew included 11 Ukrainian citizens and one Russian citizen, sank near the Turkish coast on December 4, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Dykusarov told Interfax.
"Three citizens of Ukraine and one citizen of Russia were found on a rescue craft. Turkish rescuers are trying now to take the survivors aboard the rescue vessel or a helicopter. The body of a dead sailor has also been found and delivered to the shore," Dykusarov said.
The rescue operation is continuing now, although strong wind and a storm at the scene are significantly complicating matters, he said.
"The incident is under special control of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, the Ukrainian embassy to Turkey, and the Ukrainian Consulate General in Istanbul," he added.
It was reported earlier, citing the Russian Maritime Navigation Register, that the Volgo-Balt 199 river-sea dry cargo vessel was built in 1976. The vessel was sailing under the flag of St. Kitts and Nevis. Its owner is the Ukrainian company Baltwave 199 Ltd. and its operator is the Ukrainian company Valship. The vessel originally belonged to the Russian Belomor-Onega Shipping Company and then Turkey's Albros Shipping & Trading.
