Ukrainian trawler catches fire off West Africa — media

KIEV, July 21. /TASS/: A fire broke out aboard the Ivan Golubets, one of Ukraine’s four government-owned deepwater trawlers, which is currently somewhere off West Africa, the Dumskaya news portal of Ukraine’s port city of Odessa reported.

"As a result of the incident, one sailor - an engine mechanic - went missing. A search for him is under way," the web portal said on Saturday.

"It is yet unclear how seriously the trawler was damaged," Dumskaya reported, citing information obtained directly from the crew.

According to the news outlet, the vessel, which is now flying a Georgian flag, was last located ten days ago, off the port of Nouadhibou in northwestern Mauritania.

"After that, Golubets turned off the transmitter and disappeared from electronic maps," it said.

At present, four ocean fishing trawlers are currently owned by the state of Ukraine - the Kapitan Rusak, the Ivan Golubets, the Alexei Slobodchikov and the Professor Mikhail Alexandrov.