BUCHAREST, October 23. /TASS/. A merchant vessel sank in the Black Sea off the coast of Romania, killing one person, the Realitatea Plus television channel reported, citing sources.

According to the television channel, the Romanian Navy received a distress signal at 10:00 a.m. local time (7:00 a.m. GMT). There were 13 people on board, including 10 Ukrainian nationals and three Azerbaijani citizens. Nine people have so far been rescued from the water alive, and one fatality has been reported. Search and rescue operations are continuing and are being hampered by adverse weather conditions.

The cause of the vessel’s damage remains unknown. The vessel may have been carrying petroleum products, the report said.