“While we were sailing from the coast of Odesa toward Turkey, a sudden explosion occurred on the ship, and a powerful fire broke out.”
According to sea-news.az that these words were stated in an exclusive comment to AZERTAC by Ismail Akhundov, the second mate who was at the scene when the civilian merchant vessel Atlas Bey, owned by the Turkish company Okean Maritime, was subjected to a drone attack near the coast of Odesa, Ukraine, on July 14 at approximately 15:15 local time.
“After unloading the cargo, we set sail from the Odesa coast toward Turkey. Eleven members of the Azerbaijani crew had gone below deck. We were cleaning the ship. Only the captain remained above. Suddenly, a powerful explosion occurred, followed by a fire. Nearby ships came to help and began evacuation,” added Ismail Akhundov.
According to him, there is still no news regarding the captain’s condition.
“As soon as the incident occurred, the relevant institutions of the Azerbaijani state immediately provided us with support. On behalf of our crew, I would like to express our gratitude. We are currently in the city of Odesa, and diplomats from the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Ukraine are also here. They are taking close care of us, and consular support continues for our evacuation to Azerbaijan,” noted Ismail Akhundov.
