Tugboat Astana with five crew members on board sinks off Romania coast

The tugboat Astana, carrying five crew members, sank on March 18 in Romania's Midia port, leaving one person dead and four others missing.

One crew member was brought ashore but could not be resuscitated. Search operations for the remaining four are ongoing, with Romanian Navy officials not ruling out the possibility that they may have died.

Emergency teams, divers, and specialized services were dispatched to the scene.

According to Romania's naval authorities, the tugboat capsized while assisting the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Amadeus during mooring operations at the Monbuoy terminal, located about 8 km from Midia port.

An investigation has been launched under the coordination of the prosecutor's office to determine the causes and circumstances of the incident.

The Astana tugboat, sailing under the Romanian flag, was built in 2006. It is 26.09 meters long, 7.94 meters wide, with a maximum draft of 3.85 meters and an engine power of 2,610 kW (3,500 hp).