Authorities in Romania ordered the evacuation of the village of Plauru, across from Odesa, located at a distance of 236 km northeast of Bucharest, after a drone strike hit a Turkish tanker carrying 4,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas at Ukraine’s port of Izmail.

Foreign media reports that the attack was carried out by Russia and warned of the risk of a major explosion due to the vessel’s cargo. The Turkish-flagged LPG ship ORINDA caught fire while anchored at the port, triggering an emergency response from local authorities and security forces.

According to the Turkish maritime outlet Deniz Haber, all 16 crew members were evacuated in time and are safe. Turkey’s Directorate General of Maritime Affairs confirmed that no crew members were injured and that they have been moved to a secure location.

Ukrainian firefighting teams rushed to the scene, with officials saying the extent of the damage will be assessed once the blaze on the Turkish tanker is fully contained. Turkish authorities added that they are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with their Ukrainian counterparts.

Romanian authorities placed the surrounding area on high alert and began evacuating Plauru after flames reached within roughly 500 meters of the village. Romanian network Digi24 reported that between 100 and 150 residents are being moved out of the area as a precaution. The mayor of the town said security services are conducting house-to-house checks and removing animals due to the risk of a powerful explosion.