Search resumes for missing Indian, Turkish sailors in Kerch strait ship accident

Russian authorities on Wednesday resumed search operation for 10 missing sailors after two ships carrying Indian, Turkish and Libyan crew members caught fire in the Kerch Strait, where the blaze was still raging following the accident which killed 14 seafarers. At least 14 people reported dead after the fire broke out on Monday off Russia's territorial waters. A search for 10 others is ongoing in the Kerch Strait which separates Russia from Crimea.

"The situation has not changed," an official from the Russian Federal Agency of Maritime and River Transportation was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency. "The two ships are still burning, the Spasatel Demidov vessel approaches them from time to time in order to throw water on them, but it cannot stay close to the fire all the time," he noted.

Though there was no information from Russia and Crimea about the identities of those killed and missing, but Turkey said four of its nationals were killed, eight were rescued and four went missing after the fire. Indian authorities earlier said the Indian embassy in Moscow was in constant touch with the concerned Russian agencies to get more information on Indian nationals affected in the incident and to extend necessary assistance.

Both vessels were flying Tanzanian flags. One of them was a liquefied natural gas carrier and another one was a tanker. The fire broke out as the two ships were transferring fuel from one to the other. The search effort for sailors missing in the accident was resumed on Wednesday.

A local official of the maritime rescue service said that the Merkury tow boat, which brought the sailors to Crimea's Kerch on Tuesday, was also returning to the accident scene. "Merkury is heading to the fire scene, it will be involved in searching [for the sailors] and extinguishing the fire," a spokesperson said.

A special vessel, Spasatel Demidov, is continuing the effort to put out the fire, which is still underway. The ships have not sunk because their important parts remain intact. Citing a source in the Azov-Black Sea branch of the Maritime Rescue Service, the TASS said that attempts to extinguish the fire were failing because of burning LNG.

"Only LNG is burning at the moment. The fire engulfing parts of the ships has been extinguished but gas is coming out and burning, it is like a gas burner," the source said, adding that according to recent information, the Candy was carrying about 2,500 tonnes of LNG. There is no information about the amount of gas carried by the Maestro but the two ships are similar in size, so it might be the same.

The condition of sailors who were rescued during the ship fire incident in the Kerch Strait causes no concern, head of Crimea's Disaster Medicine and Ambulance Center Sergei Olefirenko was quoted as saying by the TASS. "The rescued sailors… are being treated at Kerch City Hospital. Their condition is fair, there are no signs of deterioration. There is no danger to their lives," he said.

Meanwhile, Crimean Human Rights Ombudsperson Lyudmila Lubina said that border guards and consular workers were preparing documents for the rescued sailors. "They are Turkish and Indian nationals. Border guards and consular services are working on documents so that they can return to their home countries," the ombudsperson said.

One of the ships, the Candy, had a 17-member crew, including nine Turkish citizens and eight Indian nationals. The other one, the Maestro, had 15-member crew, including seven Turkish nationals, seven Indian citizens and an intern from Libya, Russian news agency Tass quoted maritime authority as saying. Turkey's Milenyum Denizcilik Gemi company is believed to own both ships.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)