site.btaStranded Tanker Kairos to Be Anchored in Burgas Bay, as It Cannot Enter Port - Maritime Administration Directorate Head

Speaking to the Bulgarian News Agency on Wednesday, Captain Zhivko Petrov, Director of the Maritime Administration Directorate in Burgas, said that the tanker Kairos, which ran aground off the coast of Ahtopol last week, will be anchored in Burgas Bay, as it cannot enter a port. The tanker is unable to generate its own electricity or operate any of its mechanisms. The engines are out of order, and water has entered the engine room, Petrov said after a team from his Directorate and the Border Police boarded the tanker for the first time to carry out an inspection.

Petrov noted that the emergency diesel generator is also out of order, adding that the tanker has lost power to all mechanisms, including the anchoring ones.

The rear section of the vessel has been destroyed by the fire, Petrov said. He added that there is no oil leakage or pollution around the vessel. The front section is intact, and the ship remains stable on its starboard anchor, which has been lowered with about 150–200 metres of chain. The port anchor is jammed and cannot be used.

Three crew members remain on board, including an officer of the watch. The captain left the vessel during the first evacuations in Turkiye, Petrov noted.

There is no cargo on board, he said. Petrov added that the tanks contain remnants of previous cargo, but they are hermetically sealed. Planning is ongoing for the operation to remove the tanker. The main problem is raising the anchor, which must be lifted before the ship can be towed to Burgas Bay, he noted. Arrangements are being made to deliver an external generator to provide industrial power, which will operate the hydraulics needed to lift the anchor.

The vessel is planned to be towed by several tugboats to a point near the entrance to Burgas Bay, Petrov added. In his words, the tanker’s size - approximately 270 metres - prevents the vessel from entering the port.

Petrov told the Bulgarian News Agency that, according to the crew, water entered the engine room due to a breach in the stern.

"Today’s inspection shows no new water ingress. The vessel has been under observation for five days, and there is no pollution," Petrov added.