Fourteen die after two gas tankers catch fire near Crimea

At least 14 sailors were killed and five others were missing Monday after commercial vessels caught fire in the Black Sea, Russian officials said.

Russia’s Federal Agency for the Sea and River Transport said the fire erupted while fuel was being pumped between the two Tanzanian-flagged tankers, the Maestro and the Candy. Russian news agencies reported the flames spread from one ship to the other, forcing the crews to jump overboard.

The news agencies quoted the federal maritime agency as saying the two vessels had 31 total crew members — citizens of Turkey and India.

A rescue operation is still underway and authorities in the Russia-annexed city of Crimea are preparing to receive the victims.

The two ships, named Kandy and Maestro, were carrying 31 people in total and most of them were Turkish or Indian citizens.

Via Sky

Discover more from The Dispatch

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Verified by MonsterInsights