Bangladeshi sailor rescued from drone-hit MT Kairos off Bulgarian coast
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Bangladeshi sailor Mahfuzul Islam Plabon and three others have been rescued by the Bulgarian Coast Guard from the MT Kairos, a ship damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack.
The vessel, drifting uncontrollably off the Bulgarian coast, had its crew rescued on Monday at about 1:30pm Bangladesh time.
The 275-metre Chinese tanker, en route from Egypt’s Suez Port to Russia’s Novorossiysk, was struck by a Ukrainian naval drone in Turkish waters on Nov 28 at 4:45pm local time, triggering a massive fire that forced the crew to abandon the vessel within two hours.
Türkiye’s Coast Guard earlier rescued 25 sailors from the burning vessel.
The group comprised four Bangladeshis, 19 Chinese nationals, and one each from Myanmar and Indonesia.
Three of the Bangladeshis were taken to Türkiye’s Izmit city and returned home on Saturday, while Plabon stayed back to help with recovery efforts.
Plabon told bdnews24.com that three sailors on the tanker fell ill on Sunday, prompting the Bulgarian Coast Guard to first deliver food before airlifting the stranded group.
Four other sailors -- three from China and one from Myanmar -- remain on the vessel to keep it secured, with adequate food left for them.
A week earlier, 10 sailors, including Plabon, travelled to the Black Sea with assistance from Türkiye’s Coast Guard to bring the abandoned tanker closer to shore.
After towing it towards Türkiye’s coastline, the Coast Guard withdrew, leaving the ship drifting in adverse weather until it entered Bulgarian waters.
With the engine destroyed, the sailors’ food and water ran out while they awaited rescue.
Their initial calls for assistance from Bulgarian authorities brought no immediate response.
The Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers’ Association later contacted the International Transport Workers’ Federation to arrange help for the stranded crew.
Sakhawat Hossain, general secretary of the association, said Plabon and the remaining sailors have now been rescued and will return home soon.