Cargo ship ‘snaps in half’ during storm as panicked crew send desperate Mayday call

This is the moment a cargo ship ‘snapped in half’ during a storm, killing three crew members.

The vessel, named Arvin, broke into two pieces and sank off Turkey’s Black Sea coast while en route to Bulgaria two weeks ago.

Rescue workers reportedly saved at least six people on board the ship and retrieved the bodies of two others.

Sinan Guner, the governor of Bartin, in northern Turkey, confirmed a third person had died.

A video shows the ship crashing over high waves before a loud creaking sound can be heard.

The panicked crew then make emergency mayday calls over the ship’s radio.

The Turkish navy sent a frigate to help the rescue effort, ABC News reports.

The transport ministry said the lost ship had 12 crew members on board, including two Russians and 10 Ukrainians.

The Russian state agency overseeing sea and river fleets said the vessel belonged to the Ukrainian company Arvin Shipping Ltd.

The surviving crew members were found in lifeboats.

According to Al Jazeera, Mr Guner said: “The Arvin ship attempted to take refuge at the Bartin port due to poor weather conditions as it carried cargo from Georgia to Bulgaria.

“There are high waves, and because of the waves the (rescue) boat can’t see its surroundings. We are trying to reach them with directions from the shore.”