Rescuers were struggling Sunday to save 14,600 sheep loaded on a cargo ship that capsized in the Black Sea off the coast of Romania, they said.
The Queen Hind bound for Saudi Arabia overturned for yet unknown reasons shortly after leaving Romania's Midia port.
The crew of 20 Syrians and one Lebanese were rescued, together with 32 sheep, two of which were pulled from the water, said Ana-Maria Stoica, a spokeswoman for the rescue services.
"The rescue operation is ongoing... We hope that the sheep inside the ship's hold are still alive," she told AFP.
Rescuers supported by the military, police and divers were trying to right the Palau-flagged ship and pull it to the port, she said.