The operation to tow the tanker "Kairos", stuck in the Ahtopol area, is proceeding according to schedule and without delay, the Ministry of Transport and Communications announced today.
The government has approved a decision to provide 1.2 million leva, necessary for the implementation of the activities of the operation. A contract with the selected contractor is expected to be signed by the end of the day, BTA specified.
The ministry indicates that preparation of equipment and mobilization of specialized teams have begun in parallel, and these activities will continue tomorrow. The final stage of the operation to tow the "Kairos" to a safe position in the Burgas Bay is planned for Sunday, under suitable weather conditions.
Three tugboats and a specialized generator will be used to bring the vessel out, which will provide power to activate the hydraulic systems and raise the anchor.
BTA recalls that last Friday the tanker “Kairos“, flying a foreign flag, ran aground off the coast of Ahtopol. After a meeting of the Regional Crisis Headquarters for Disasters and Accidents, the Burgas regional administration announced that there is no data on environmental consequences in connection with the situation.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov requested an explanation from the Ambassador of Turkey to Bulgaria Mehmet Uyanık regarding the reasons and the manner in which the vessel entered Bulgarian territorial waters.
The Turkish diplomat stated that the operation with the tanker “Kairos“ off the Bulgarian coast was carried out by a private Turkish company without prior notification to the Turkish state.
According to him, the Turkish institutions have already started an investigation into the case and will provide full information to the Bulgarian authorities in a timely manner.