Constanta 'drone' explosion live: Romania port rocked by blast as area locked down

Constanta 'drone' explosion live: Romania port rocked by blast as area locked down A suspected sea drone has exploded at the Port of Constanta which is Romania's largest on the Black Sea coast A suspected sea drone has exploded in Romania's largest port on the Black Sea coast, sparking a major evacuation. The blast happened at the port of Constanta at around 10.30am EEST (8.30am UK time). The surrounding area has been cordoned off with a huge pillar of smoke seen pouring into the sky. The explosion comes after a drone, which NATO has confirmed was Russian, crashed into a Romanian block of flats late last month. The strike in the town of Galați prompted international condemnation with Sir Keir Starmer calling the incident a "serious violation of NATO airspace". Vladimir Putin said the drone's origin was "yet to be determined" and urged Romania to handover the drone so it could conduct "an objective investigation". The Constanta explosion came after a reported green drone, fitted with antennas, was intercepted by anti-pollution barriers in the water before being discovered in the yard of the Romanian Agency for Human Life Saving at Sea. Key Events It comes after a Russian drone targeting Ukraine went astray and struck an apartment building in eastern Romania on May 29, injuring two people in the NATO member country, Romanian officials said. The drone crashed onto the roof of the building in the Danube port city of Galati and sparked a fire, the defence ministry said in a statement. The two injuries were minor and several people were evacuated. The incursion added to concerns that the war could spread across the alliance's borders. Romanian authorities activated the Red Intervention Plan - the highest level of emergency preparedness triggered by the Department for Emergency Situations - at 10.29am EEST (8.29am BST). According to Romanian outlet Stiripesurse, the "sea drone" was discovered at around 5.50am EEST (3.30am BST) near the headquarters of the Romanian Agency for Saving Human Life at Sea, located in the North Pier area of the Port of Constanta. Police officers, gendarmerie and border police were deployed to the scene, where they put security measures in place and began investigations. The device then exploded on its own in dock 78 of the port, said Bogdan Toma, spokesman for Romania's Department for Emergency Situations. A sea drone has reportedly exploded in the port of Constanta, which is the largest coastal and port city in Romania. The blast happened at around 10.30am EEST (8.30am UK time), local media report. The surrounding area has been cordoned off and people have been evacuated. There were no reports of injuries, according to Bogdan Toma, spokesman for Romania's Department for Emergency Situations.