MANILA, Philippines — Fourteen Filipino seafarers who were rescued after their ship was hit by maritime drones in the Black Sea returned to the Philippines on Monday, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said.
The seafarers arrived at Clark International Airport aboard Qatar Airways Flight QR926 from Doha, Qatar.
They were among the 18 crew members of the Liberian-flagged container ship M/V Contship Jet, which was hit by three maritime drones on Oct. 28 while sailing from Haifa, Israel, to Constanta, Romania. The other four crew members were Ukrainians.
All 18 crew members were rescued with the assistance of the Bulgarian Navy and border police vessels and brought to Varna, Bulgaria, for medical checks. The vessel later sank, according to the Bulgarian Maritime Administration.
The Filipino seafarers temporarily stayed at a hotel in Varna while Bulgarian authorities interviewed them and their repatriation arrangements were being completed.
OWWA Regional Welfare Office III provided airport assistance to the returning seafarers at Clark International Airport and said it was prepared to provide post-repatriation services.
