Russian Oil Tanker Splits in Half, Spilling Oil into Kerch Strait During Storm
A Russian oil tanker carrying thousands of tons of oil products split apart during a heavy storm on Sunday, spilling oil into the Kerch Strait, while another tanker was also in distress after sustaining damage, Russian officials said.
The 136-meter Volgoneft 212 tanker, with 15 people on board, was damaged and ran aground in the Kerch Strait, which separates mainland Russia from Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Footage on state media showed waves washing over its deck.
At least one person was killed and 12 others were evacuated from the tanker, with 11 of those taken to hospital, two of whom were in serious condition.
The second Russian-flagged ship, the 132-meter Volgoneft 239, was drifting after sustaining damage and has a crew of 14 people. The Emergencies Ministry said it was still in contact with the ship and its crew.
The Kerch Strait is a key route for Russian grain and oil exports. Emergency services have deployed over 50 people and equipment, including helicopters and rescue tugboats, to the area to deal with the rescue operation and mitigate the impact of the fuel spill.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the government to set up a working group to deal with the incident and specialists are assessing the damage at the site. The cause of the tanker’s splitting and the extent of the spill are still unknown.