Syria Calls for Independent Investigation into Black Sea Shipwreck: 10 Crew Missing, Search-and-Rescue Operation Halted Prematurely

Syria has called for an "independent and transparent" investigation into the sinking of a cargo ship in the Black Sea and questioned why the search-and-rescue operation was halted while 10 crew members remained missing. The incident has once again exposed the deadly risks facing civilian shipping and the breakdown of accountability chains in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war.

According to Al Jazeera, the Togo-flagged cargo ship "Alfa Watan" sank in the early hours of Tuesday in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, with all 10 crew members — 9 Syrians and 1 Egyptian — missing. Mazen Aloush, an official at Syria's port authority, noted that the search-and-rescue operation had been stopped before the missing crew had been located.

"Their fate remains unknown," Aloush said in an appeal addressed to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Bulgarian authorities, demanding an inquiry into "the reasons that led to the suspension of the search-and-rescue operation." According to Al Jazeera, the Syrian Maritime Workers' Union said contact had been lost with the crew of the "Alfa Watan" and that no survivors had been found since the rescue operation was halted.

Citing the Equasis commercial shipping database, Al Jazeera reported that an attack the same day also struck the Palau-flagged vessel "Able," which caught fire; all 18 Turkish and Indian crew members on board were rescued. Both merchant vessels were managed by Turkish companies. It remains unclear which side of the Russia-Ukraine conflict launched the attacks. The incidents occurred at a time when drone strikes in the Black Sea have increased significantly and the Russia-Ukraine war continues to rage.

Aloush condemned attacks on civilian merchant ships as "a grave violation of maritime security and a threat to seafarers." He said Syria's General Directorate of Ports and Customs is closely tracking developments in the incident and called on the relevant authorities to deploy all available technical means to locate and examine the wreckage to determine the cause of the sinking.

The most vulnerable in this crisis are those Syrian seafarers far from home, with little diplomatic protection or press coverage. As the two warring parties jockey for position around Black Sea shipping, the lives of third-country crew members are being treated as collateral damage; and with the search-and-rescue operation called off while 10 people remain missing, even the most basic efforts to confirm their fate have been shelved.