Department for Emergency Situations (DSU) head Raed Arafat said on Friday that an evacuation message had been issued for the entire coastal area of Constanta following a drone explosion, as authorities are considering the possibility that other such devices may still be present and could detonate.

'A SMURD helicopter is carrying out a reconnaissance mission along the coastline. In addition, a Black Hawk helicopter has been brought in from Tulcea because the possibility of other drones is being considered. There is suspicion that there may be other drones - if there was one, there could be others,' Arafat told a press conference at the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI).

He announced that people living in the coastal area would be evacuated and that access to the area would be restricted until authorities are certain there is no danger.

'We are not panicking - these are preventive measures. If there are other drones, we want to make sure there is no further explosion in an area where people have not been evacuated. We are also maintaining contact with the county prefect,' Arafat added.

A maritime drone discovered on Friday morning in the Civil Port of Constanta, near the headquarters of the Romanian Agency for Saving Human Life at Sea, self-detonated at approximately 10:30 am without causing any casualties, the Ministry of National Defence announced. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Alexandru Florea; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)

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