UPDATE - Turkey: Panama-flagged ship sinks off Black Sea coast

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT BY PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR'S OFFICE

By Fatih Hafiz Mehmet and Muhammed Boztepe

ANKARA (AA) - A Panama-flagged ship sank off the coast of Samsun province in Turkey’s Black Sea on Monday, officials said.

According to an Interior Ministry statement, four crew were rescued when the Turkish coast guard started a search and rescue activity after receiving a danger signal on the sinking of a ship off 77 nautical miles of northern Samsun province.

A total of 13 crew were aboard the ship, according to the Samsun governor’s office.

The search and rescue activity is ongoing with four helicopters, one plane, two coastal guard boats, one rescue ship, and one towing boat, the statement added.