Reports from Romania suggest a general cargo ship heading for Ukraine may have hit a sea mine after suffering an explosion on Wednesday.
The 4,250-dwt Seama (built 1981) reported an explosion at the stern in the early hours, 10 nautical miles east of Sulina.
The master requested the evacuation of all 12 crew members.
The seafarers were later handed over to a medical team, according to Dorina Pop, a spokesperson for the Romanian Life Saving Agency on the Sea (ARSVOM).
She told the B1 TV channel: “The intervention has been completed”.
A photo of the vessel showed it down by the stern, but it was said to be in a stable condition.
Pop added: “One of the people suffered burns on the right side, but they are out of danger. They presented a state of panic.”
The designated person ashore for the Seama’s Lebanese operator GMZ Shipmanagement, Captain Naoum El Hajj, confirmed the explosion to TradeWinds.
“But till now, we don’t know the cause,” he added.
He also said the crew had “noticed some divers near the vessel before the explosion”.
The Togo-flagged ship was carrying a cargo of cement and was waiting to enter the Bystroe Canal in Romania.
The vessel was reporting on AIS that it was destined for Izmail in Ukraine.
Security company Ambrey observed the Romanian search and rescue vessel Ares arriving in the area, followed by a tug.
The Romanian navy sent a mine sweeper called the Vice-Admiral Constantin Balescu to the scene, with a team of divers.
“Ambrey observed that Seama was drifting at the northeast edge of the Sulina anchorage area, making her one of the most exposed vessels to floating sea mines,” the security company added.
“This incident underscored the importance of conducting transit and drifting threat assessments to mitigate the risks associated with sailing in the Black Sea,” it said.
Romanian officials have not yet confirmed the cause of the explosion.
AIS data showed the vessel at anchor in the Black Sea on Wednesday.
The ship had left Bartin in Turkey on 11 September.
