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Accidents

Astana (2026)

On 18 March 2026, the Romanian tug Astana capsized and sank while assisting the tanker Amades at Midia Marine Terminal's offshore SPM/Monobuoy; all five crew members later died.

Classification

  • Incident Type: Capsize unknown mechanism
  • Severity: High
  • Region: Black Sea
  • Evidence: Romanian Naval Authority, Romanian Naval Forces, Midia Marine Terminal, and subsequent reporting on the recovery operation

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel NameAstana
Vessel TypeTug
Flag StateRomania [RO]
IMO Number9414204
MMSI264900302
Gross Tonnage186
LOA (m)26.09
Breadth (m)7.94
Power (kW)2610
Owner/OperatorMidia Marine Terminal
Year Built2006
Crew Size5
Other VesselAmades, tanker, Marshall Islands flag

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date2026-03-18
LocationMidia Marine Terminal SPM/Monobuoy, about 8.6 km offshore from Midia Port, Black Sea, Romania
Coordinates44.3000, 28.7000
RegionBlack Sea
Fatalities5
Injuries
Missing
Cargo Loss
Direct Damage
Economic Damage
Insured Loss
Salvage/Cleanup Cost

Key facts

  • Five Romanian crew members were aboard Astana; the last missing crew member was recovered on 22 June 2026, and contemporary reporting stated that all five bodies had been recovered and returned to their families.
  • The Romanian Naval Authority said the casualty occurred at about 08:40 while Astana was assisting Amades to berth at the offshore SPM/Monobuoy terminal, approximately 8 km from Midia Port.
  • The tug was found at about 26 m depth. Romanian Naval Forces supported the search with specialist diving and sonar equipment.
  • The deputy director of the Constanța Zonal Harbour Master’s Office was reported as saying that Astana had radioed that its main engines had stopped before the tug was seen capsized and then sinking within minutes.
  • Midia Marine Terminal said the tug had undergone recertification and overhaul work, most recently in June 2025, and that its class certificate had been inspected by Bureau Veritas on 16 January 2026. These were operator statements, not final investigation findings.

Narrative

On 18 March 2026, Astana, a Romanian tug operated by Midia Marine Terminal, was assisting the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Amades during a berthing operation at the terminal's offshore SPM, also described in official releases as the Monobuoy terminal, about 8 to 8.6 km from Midia Port. The Romanian Naval Authority reported that the port authority was alerted at approximately 08:40 and that five crew members were aboard the tug.

Contemporaneous accounts attributed to the deputy director of the Constanța Zonal Harbour Master’s Office stated that Astana radioed that its main engines had stopped and that it had lost propulsion. The pilot on Amades then saw the tug capsized on its starboard side a few metres astern of the tanker. The tug reportedly turned keel-up and sank vertically within minutes. The propulsion loss and the rapid capsize are reported operational facts; no public final investigation has established the technical failure or the causal sequence.

One crew member was recovered from the water and taken ashore, where resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful. Romanian Naval Forces divers recovered a second body from the wreck later on 18 March. Searches continued at a depth of about 26 m under the coordination of the Romanian Naval Authority and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, with assistance from the Romanian Naval Forces and the Romanian Agency for Saving Life at Sea. Weather and access conditions complicated early diving operations.

ARAS Salvage began the wreck-recovery operation in June. A body was recovered during preparations on 17 June, the tug was raised and towed to Midia Port by 19 June, and the final missing crew member was recovered on 22 June. The tug remained under the authorities' control for investigative work. No public monetary damage estimate, pollution quantity, or final causal report has been identified.

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
2026-03-18, about 08:40The Romanian Naval Authority was alerted after Astana capsized while assisting tanker Amades toward the offshore SPM/Monobuoy terminal.
2026-03-18One crew member was recovered but died after resuscitation attempts; Romanian Naval Forces divers later recovered a second body from the wreck.
2026-03-19The Romanian Naval Authority reported that searches for the remaining three crew members continued at approximately 26 m depth under prosecutor coordination.
2026-06-17ARAS Salvage recovered one of the three remaining missing crew members during preparations to raise the wreck.
2026-06-19The raised tug was towed to Midia Port; two crew members were still being sought inside or around the vessel.
2026-06-22The final missing crew member was recovered, and reporting stated that all five crew bodies had been recovered and returned to their families.

Contributing factors

FactorEvidence statusDescription
Loss of main propulsion before the capsizeReportedThe Constanța harbour-master’s office was reported as saying that Astana radioed that its main engines had stopped. The available public material does not establish why propulsion was lost or whether it caused the capsize.

Investigation

The Romanian Naval Authority and the Constanța Port Harbour Master’s Office coordinated the initial casualty response. The Romanian Naval Authority stated that the investigation into the causes and circumstances was being conducted under the coordination of the competent prosecutor, identified in contemporaneous reporting as the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the Constanța Tribunal. Midia Marine Terminal said on 19 March that an investigation was under way and that it would provide the authorities with the requested information.

The wreck was recovered in June under authority supervision to support investigative work. A July 2026 report on a Constanța court order stated that a condition inspection of Astana at Midia Terminal was authorized as evidence preservation. No final public investigation report or definitive causal finding was identified by 24 August 2026.

References

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