An alarm was raised in the early hours of Wednesday, May 6, when a Vanuatu-flagged cargo vessel sank after striking a rocky area north of the island of Andros, in the Aegean Sea.
The ship had been en route from Albania to Ukraine, carrying approximately 8,000 metric tons of soda. Following the impact with the rocks, it sustained severe damage that ultimately led to its sinking.
Nine crew members were on board—eight Turkish nationals and one Azerbaijani. All were successfully rescued in a coordinated operation by the Hellenic Coast Guard.
Two sailors were recovered from the sea by a Coast Guard patrol vessel, while the remaining seven were located and extricated from a difficult-to-access rocky section of Andros. The rescued crew were safely transported to the island’s port and, according to initial reports, are in good health.
Two Coast Guard vessels remain at the scene, with two more en route to the wreck site. Assistance was also provided by the passenger ferry “Samos,” three nearby vessels, and a helicopter from the Hellenic Air Force.
Weather conditions in the area were reported as favorable, a factor that proved critical to the success of the rescue operation. Authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the grounding and subsequent sinking of the vessel.
