An oil tanker with about 30 people on board was in flames today just off the Black Sea port of Constanta in Romania after an explosion, the coast guard and witnesses said.
A spokeswoman for the Constanta coastguard said two rescue ships were heading for the scene. Rescuers were in radio contact with the ship's captain.
Witnesses in Constanta said plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the ship, which was flying a Bulgarian flag, after a blast at 11.06 a.m. (9.06 Irish time) which was clearly audible from shore.