Ukrainian Cargo Ship Arvin sinks off Black Sea
At least 3 crew members are confirmed dead on board the cargo ship.
By Vikram Malik, Maritime Direct India Correspondent
Sailing under the flag of Palau, Arvin had anchored off the port of Bartin in northern Turkey after running into stormy weather, on its journey from Poti, Georgia to Burgas, Bulgaria. There are varying reports on the number of crew members that were on board the vessel – while some suggest 12, others have suggested 15, with a mix of Ukrainian and Russian nationalities among them.
Built back in 1975, the Arvin was a 46-years old vessel known to be incapable of withstanding such stormy weather. Besides age, the reason for this also lies in the shape of such vessels – inordinately long and narrow, that ends up compromising their structural strength to an extent that they are not considered fully seaworthy. It has now been confirmed that Arvin broke into two pieces before sinking.
Arvin was carrying 2902 tons of solid bulk urea, not considered as dangerous cargo. Equasis records on the vessel confirm Arvin Shipping to be its owner, with no other ships registered on its fleet.
Update: Latest updates on this story confirm that 4 crew members have died with 6 others being rescued, thus leaving 3 to 5 personnel still unaccounted for.
