A tanker belonging to Russia's shadow fleet caught fire off the coast of Turkey.
Off the coast of Turkey in the Black Sea, the tanker Kairos, flying the flag of Gambia, is on fire, Bloomberg reported.
Tanker Kairos. Illustrative photo
According to preliminary information, the tanker belonged to the Russian "shadow fleet," was heading to Novorossiysk without cargo, and the fire occurred due to "external impact."
According to the Turkish shipping agency Tribeca and Bloomberg, the incident occurred approximately 80 kilometers north of the Bosphorus Strait. According to Tribeca, the possible cause of the explosion could be a mine, but this information has not yet been confirmed.
It is reported that rescuers immediately arrived at the scene, and all 25 crew members were successfully evacuated.
According to Bloomberg, Kairos previously transported Russian Urals crude oil from the port of Novorossiysk to Paradip, India. According to ship tracking services, at the time of the incident, the tanker was heading from Egypt to the Russian port for another loading.