Adrift for 5 days, he remains stuck in Bulgarian waters
Initially rescued from his drone-hit oil tanker, a Bangladeshi mariner has become stranded again on the damaged vessel after joining a salvage team.
Mahfuzul Islam Plabon, 4th engineer of the MT Kairos, along with nine other crewmen, has been stuck on the ship for five days. They are facing food shortages and are unable to contact port authorities or the owning firm. During this time, the crippled vessel has drifted close to the Bulgarian coast.
The MT Kairos was reportedly attacked by Ukrainian drones in the Black Sea on November 28. The damaged tanker was later towed near Istanbul anchorage from deep sea on December 1 by a tugboat hired by the ship's Chinese owner.
However, once the tugboat left, the 10 crewmen remained trapped on board as they were unable to drop anchor due to the engine and power system being out of order. The vessel drifted towards the Bulgarian coast amid rough weather, but local authorities have yet to respond, Plabon told The Daily Star yesterday afternoon in a WhatsApp call.
Three other Bangladeshi crewmen, who were rescued earlier along with all 25 crew members by the Turkish Coast Guard, are now returning home by flight, he said.
Two oil tankers came under attack by the Ukrainian navy off the coast of Turkey on November 28. Four of the 25 crew members on the MT Kairos were Bangladeshis. The ship was empty at the time and was crossing the Bosphorus en route to the Russian port of Novorossiysk from Egypt's Suez port to load crude oil for China.
All 25 crewmen were taken to Turkey immediately after the attack. Ten later returned to the damaged tanker about 30 nautical miles off the Turkish coast on November 30 for inspection and salvage work.
Plabon said they recovered documents, including passports and certificates, and handed them to the tugboat crew before the ship was towed to Istanbul outer anchorage.
After the vessel drifted near Bulgaria, the stranded mariners contacted the Bulgarian coast guard, but they refused to rescue them. The crew eventually managed to drop anchor in Bulgarian waters.
Most of their food stock was damaged in heavy rain, forcing the 10 crewmen to take shelter in a small cabin of the burnt-out ship. Plabon has contacted leaders of the Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers Association in Chattogram.
BMMOA General Secretary Md Shakawat Hossain said they have contacted the International Transport Federation in Turkey and Bulgaria to rescue the stranded mariners.
