A ship and its twelve crew members went missing in the Black Sea off Turkey’s northwestern coast after a severe storm, Turkish authorities announced Sunday, France-Presse and Agerpres reported.

“The Turkish-flagged ship Kafkametler sent a distress signal today at 10:29 (…) Our attempts to contact the vessel and its crew have gone unanswered,” the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs, a Turkish government agency, announced. it depends on the Ministry of Transport.

The ship gave its last signal near the town of Eregli in northwestern Turkey.

“Due to the bad weather, it is currently impossible to reach the location (where the) ship is or make close visual contact. Search and rescue operations with the help of aviation and marine equipment will be started as soon as weather conditions allow,” added the Main Maritime Administration.

Twelve sailors are on board a cargo ship carrying ferrosilicon from the port of Temryuk in Russia to Aliag in Turkey.

In his last communication with Turkish authorities, the captain said the vessel was drifting towards a berth off the coast of Eregli.

Strong winds and storms hit several areas of Turkey, especially in the northwest, on Sunday.

Another Cameroonian-flagged vessel broke in two due to strong waves in Eregla after its entire crew was safely evacuated.

Strong winds and rain also caused flooding and damage in Sile and Garipce, two towns on the Black Sea coast near Istanbul, without causing any casualties or injuries.