Danube delta dredger explosion in Odesa region claims three lives

The Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority reported the information.

There were 11 crew members on board. As a result of the explosion, three employees of the Sea Ports Authority were killed. The other crew members sustained injuries and were hospitalized.

According to the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority, the vessel belongs to its Delta-Pilot branch.

Specialized services are working at the scene, and the circumstances of the incident are being clarified. The Sea Ports Authority stated that the families of the deceased and injured will receive the necessary support.

Due to the incident, the maritime approach channel at the Bystre mouth has been temporarily closed to navigation. Vessel passage to and from the ports of the Danube region is currently being carried out via the Sulina Channel.

• The Bystre mouth is a strategic export route for Ukrainian goods via the Danube ports. After Snake Island was liberated from Russian occupation, the estuary was opened to civilian vessels.
• According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, the liberation of Snake Island allowed Ukraine to reopen the Danube River estuary to civilian navigation, increasing export volumes to 1.5 million tonnes per month.
• In February 2023, Ukraine expanded the Bystre mouth on the Danube to boost exports from its sea ports — a move that raised concerns in Romania.