Turkey: 2 more bodies found from Black Sea sinking

BARTIN, Turkey

As search and rescue efforts continue, Turkish authorities on Monday have found two more bodies from a Palau-flagged cargo ship which sank in the Black Sea, raising the number of bodies recovered to three, officials said.

The two bodies washed ashore in Bartin, Turkey, nearly two kilometers from the scene of Sunday’s sinking of the Arvin, which had 12 crew members on board.

The first body found on Sunday was identified as Captain Galenko Witaly, 37, a Russian citizen, said the Bartin Governorship.

Six crew members who were earlier rescued are in good health and will be discharged after paperwork, Bartin Governor Sinan Guner told Anadolu Agency

Due to a snowstorm, naval vehicles could not take part in search and rescue activities, he added.

"We continue search and rescue activities by land, but by air and sea it is not possible. We will activate a helicopter at the earliest when the weather agrees. We’re not currently stopping search activities," Guner said.

On Sunday, the ship broke into two pieces and sank in the area where it was anchored, according to a Transport and Infrastructure Ministry statement.

The statement added that due to bad weather, the ship had anchored on Jan. 15 in the administrative area of the port of Bartin.

Before the accident, the Arvin had been heading to Burgas, Bulgaria.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan