Black Sea Tanker Attack: 23 Indian Sailors Brought to Safety After Fire Near Sochi
Twenty-three Indian sailors were rescued safely, after an oil tanker came under attack in the Black Sea. It caught fire near the Russian resort city of Sochi, said the authorities. The incident involving the Aframax Rio tanker took place on Tuesday, October 6, amidst the continuous security concerns for other commercial ships in the same region.
Russia’s Transport Ministry said that there were no injuries among the Indian crew . The sailors were taken off the tanker and brought to shore safely, after the attack.
The tanker was targeted by unmanned surface vessels while sailing off Russia’s Black Sea coastline, according to the Russian authorities. The attack by the vessels resulted in a fire in the tanker, which was carrying oil.
A spokesperson for Russia’s Transport Ministry confirmed the status of the Indian citizen’s evacuation to the state-run news agency, TASS, saying, “The crew has been saved and evacuated to shore.”
The fire was reported to be severe enough to delay the firefighting rescues. The authorities reported that the rescue vessels could not initially approach the tanker because of the intensity of the same. The oil then continued to burn in the surrounding waters, with the firefighting rescues expected to begin once conditions became safer.
The incident also led to the Sochi authorities to take some precautionary measures on land. They temporarily restricted the citizens’ access to the beaches and to some parts of the seafront.
Sochi Mayor Andrey Proshunin announced these restrictions through Telegram, saying that the city’s emergency response centre had decided to temporarily prohibit access to beaches and sea embankments. He urged the residents and visitors to wait for more official announcements before they started returning to the affected areas.
This incident occurred on October 6th, only a few days after another civilian cargo vessel was struck by a Russian drone in the Black Sea. The earlier attack had two casualties, and injured a few members of the crew, including an Indian national.
India had previously expressed some concerns over attacks which had involved commercial ships. The Ministry of External Affairs said it thought of such incidents with “grave concern”, warning that these attacks threaten global trade around the world.
The safety of Indian seafarers has become an increasingly important concern as the merchant ships continue to move through conflict-affected waters. The Black Sea is an important route for international trade, therefore, the attacks on civilian ships are a huge concern.
The evacuation of all 23 Indian crew members safely has brought about a measure of relief following the attack on the tanker near Sochi. However, the incident continues to highlight the dangers that are faced by commercial ships in waters that are affected by the Russia-Ukraine war.
Russia’s Transport Ministry said that there were no injuries among the Indian crew . The sailors were taken off the tanker and brought to shore safely, after the attack.
The tanker was targeted by unmanned surface vessels while sailing off Russia’s Black Sea coastline, according to the Russian authorities. The attack by the vessels resulted in a fire in the tanker, which was carrying oil.
A spokesperson for Russia’s Transport Ministry confirmed the status of the Indian citizen’s evacuation to the state-run news agency, TASS, saying, “The crew has been saved and evacuated to shore.”
The fire was reported to be severe enough to delay the firefighting rescues. The authorities reported that the rescue vessels could not initially approach the tanker because of the intensity of the same. The oil then continued to burn in the surrounding waters, with the firefighting rescues expected to begin once conditions became safer.
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The incident also led to the Sochi authorities to take some precautionary measures on land. They temporarily restricted the citizens’ access to the beaches and to some parts of the seafront.
Sochi Mayor Andrey Proshunin announced these restrictions through Telegram, saying that the city’s emergency response centre had decided to temporarily prohibit access to beaches and sea embankments. He urged the residents and visitors to wait for more official announcements before they started returning to the affected areas.
This incident occurred on October 6th, only a few days after another civilian cargo vessel was struck by a Russian drone in the Black Sea. The earlier attack had two casualties, and injured a few members of the crew, including an Indian national.
India had previously expressed some concerns over attacks which had involved commercial ships. The Ministry of External Affairs said it thought of such incidents with “grave concern”, warning that these attacks threaten global trade around the world.
The safety of Indian seafarers has become an increasingly important concern as the merchant ships continue to move through conflict-affected waters. The Black Sea is an important route for international trade, therefore, the attacks on civilian ships are a huge concern.
The evacuation of all 23 Indian crew members safely has brought about a measure of relief following the attack on the tanker near Sochi. However, the incident continues to highlight the dangers that are faced by commercial ships in waters that are affected by the Russia-Ukraine war.
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