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13 Russian sailors evacuated from ship off Bulgaria

Local Presa daily writes the sailors are at a hotel in Varna and soon will head for Russia

SOFIA, December 6. /TASS/. Thirteen Russian sailors were evacuated from the Elga-1 ship in distress in the Black Sea off the coast of Bulgaria. Local Presa daily writes the sailors are at a hotel in Varna and soon will head for Russia.

The vessel carrying coal left Russia’s Temryuk (Krasnodar territory) for Varna. On December 3, the ship, which was about 160 kilometres to the east of Varna, gave a distress signal, saying that into its engine room began flowing water, and the main pump was out of service. The Sea Spayder ship, which was carrying pipes for the South Stream gas pipeline, the local media say, came to assist the Elga-1 and took the Russian crew on board. By that time the crew were on an inflatable raft. All the 13 people were safe.

According to unconfirmed information, the Elga-1 cargo ship, which was built in 1991, remained afloat and now is being towed to the Bulgarian shore. The ship’s owner has not confirmed this information officially.

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