Cargo ship sinks in Black Sea with 12 crew on board

MOSCOW

A dry cargo ship with 12 crew members aboard sank in the Black Sea early Wednesday, Russian Emergencies Ministry said.

Nine Ukrainians, two Russians and one Georgian were aboard the Geroy Arsenala when it capsized off Crimea, near Kerch Strait, the ministry said in a statement.

One crew member was rescued, and an operation was underway to find the others, it added.

According to the Russian Federal Marine and River Transport Agency, the Panama-flagged ship belonged to a Turkish company, and split in half during a severe storm, TASS reported.

Reporting by Hakan Ceyhan Aydogan; Writing Diyar Guldogan