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The Liberian-flagged LPG tanker Gas Lisbon was struck by a drone that triggered a fire while transiting Romania's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Black Sea on the night of 20 July. All 17 crew members were safely evacuated, and three were reported injured.
Vessel GAS LISBON, image crredit: Sakis Antoniou
The attack occurred 20 nautical miles southeast of Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania. According to Romania's General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, the naval drone attack ignited a fire in the vessel's stern accommodation area and caused an explosion, leaving the crew stranded in the bow without the ability to use the ship's own lifesaving equipment.
In response, Romania's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Constanța launched a coordinated rescue operation to rescue the crew members aboard the vessel. Emergency teams, including the Romanian Coast Guard and the rescue vessels SAR Apollo and Artemis, arrived at the scene.
SAR Apollo launched two life rafts and successfully evacuated all 17 crew members. Two crew members sustained burns, while the other one suffered multiple injuries. All three were transported to the hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit.
The fire aboard the vessel has not been completely extinguished. The Romanian Navy has issued an advisory to the nearby vessel to maintain at least three nautical miles from the tanker due to the ongoing fire and the risk of explosion.
A tug was deployed to prevent the vessel from drifting and posing a hazard to navigation, while Romanian authorities also remained on alert over the potential risk of marine pollution.
Gas Lisbon is a 2002-built vessel that measures 120 metres in length and 19 metres in width. The vessel departed from Alexandria, Egypt, on 16 July bound for Reni, Ukraine, carrying more than 3,790 tonnes of propane at the time of the incident.
