All 18 crew of the container ship CONTSHIP JET have been rescued after sea drones hit it off Cape Kaliakra, Bulgaria's transport ministry said.

The Liberian-flagged ship was sailing from the Israeli port of Haifa to Constanta in Romania. The crew said it carried 421 containers. The maritime rescue coordination centre in Constanta received the alert at 12:01 pm today.

The crew left the ship at 12:13 pm, and a search and rescue operation began at once. Three Navy vessels and a Border Police ship headed to the scene.

Eight of the sailors boarded a Navy patrol boat at 12:53 pm. The other ten were in the container ship's lifeboat.

Defence minister Dimitar Stoyanov said earlier today that three sea drones hit the ship in the contiguous zone, about 21 nautical miles south-east of Shabla. The transport ministry put the spot about 17 nautical miles east of Cape Kaliakra.

The Emergency Rescue Activities Directorate of the Maritime Administration Executive Agency, the Navy, the Air Force and the Border Police Directorate of the Interior Ministry all took part in the operation. The transport ministry said the aim was to save lives and get the crew safely out of danger. Transport minister Georgi Peev thanked the teams for their professionalism and quick response.

The sailors are travelling on a Navy ship to Varna, where Border Police officers and medical teams are waiting for them.