The incident took place late on Tuesday when a Panama-flagged multi-cargo ship caught fire in the Black Sea.

Two coastguard boats, one helicopter, as well as local fishermen rushed to the scene after receiving radio signals that a blaze was raging on the 9,200-dwt Beata vessel, according to Turkish local newspapers.

According to the coastguards, the crew were taken off  board and brought to Sinop where they were hospitalised. Most victims experienced carbon monoxide poisoning, and three of them are in critical condition.

The master of the ship Hisham Thabet, who is also Egyptian, however, remains missing and may have drowned, according to Turkish local reports.

According to a statement by the emigration ministry earlier in the day, 14 Egyptians were among the injured in the incident, including three in critical condition.

The statement quoted Gendy as saying that the injured are receiving treatment at a hospital in Turkey. She noted that search for the missing captain of the vessel, who is an Egyptian national, is underway.

The Turkish local newspapers stated that Turkish authorities gave no information on the causes of the fire.