The local authorities of Tulcea decided on Monday to evacuate the localities of Plauru and Ceatalchioi - Tulcea County, after a Turkish ship loaded with LPG was hit last night by a Russian drone and caught fire near the port of Ismail, on the Ukrainian bank of the Danube, the Emergency Management Inspectorate General announced. According to the head of the Emergency Management Department (DSU) Raed Arafat, 300 people have been moved, as the area remains at high risk of explosion with a potential impact radius of 4.5 to 5 kilometers.

'As a precaution, both Plauru and Ceatalchioi are being evacuated. The residents are relocated to Tulcea, provided with accommodation and everything necessary according to the decision of the County Committee for Emergency Situations,' Raed Arafat stated on broadcaster Antena 3.

He explained that once the risk has passed and the area is deemed safe, residents will be allowed to return home.

'It may be a matter of a few hours, or until tomorrow at the latest. The ship remains on fire and is carrying a substantial amount of liquefied petroleum gas - approximately 4,400 tons - which is currently burning at the valve outlets. The visible flames indicate ongoing combustion, and experts warn that there is still a risk of explosion, particularly if the vessel overheats or if the gas storage area becomes critically hot. In light of these assessments, we have chosen to prioritize precaution and avoid exposing the population to any danger,' Raed Arafat said.

Arafat specified that permanent contact is being kept with the Ukrainian authorities, and the situation at this moment makes the evacuation of the two localities imperative.

A ship loaded with LPG was engulfed in flames in the vicinity of the Ukrainian city of Ismail, near the border with Romania, following a Russian drone attack carried out last night on the territory of Ukraine. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Cornelia Dumitru; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)