2019 Kerch Strait liquified gas tanker fire

The 2019 Kerch Strait liquified gas tanker fire was a major incident that occurred on 21 January 2019 when two ships, Kandy and Maestro, caught fire while transferring liquefied gas from one vessel to another in the Kerch Strait.[3][4] The incident subsequently killed fourteen crewmembers and six went missing, including Libyan, Turkish, and Indian sailors,[5][6] while twelve men jumped into the water and were rescued by the Russian Navy.[7] Kandy was carrying a crew of seventeen, while Maestro was manned by fifteen crewmembers. At the time of the incident, both ships were carrying 4,500 tonnes of fuel.[8] The ship-to-ship fuel transfer resulted a fire explosion and spread across both ships; Tanzanian-flagged Turkish ships' Maestro and Kandy.[note 1][9][10][11] The blaze lasted more than four days.[12]

2019 Kerch Strait liquified gas tanker fire
Incident
Date21 January 2019 (2019-01-21)
SummaryShips caught fire while transferring liquefied gas from one vessel to another
SiteKerch Strait
Crew32[1]
Fatalities14[2]
Missing6
Survivors12

The Russian multi-purpose salvage vessel Spasatel Demidov led the fire-fighting effort but despite dowsing both ships, the fire continued to rage for five more days.[13] The crew rescue operation was conducted by ten ships, including a Russian rescue vessel.[7]

Wreck of the Maestro moored in Istanbul in late 2019

Background

Following the United States trade policy, the Russian oil company Maktren-Nafta denied access of the gas-carrier tanker Maestro to the liquefied gas terminal at Temryuk, as Maestro was listed on a United States sanctions for transporting fuel to Syria.[14] Unable to upload liquefied gas at Temryuk port, Maestro was illegally loaded by ship-to-ship transfer from Kandy.

Maestro and Kandy caught fire in the Kerch Strait, separating the Sea of Azov from the Black Sea. Both cargo ships, old and in poor condition, were believed to be actively involved in illegal trade, reportedly carrying out ship-to-ship cargo operations within jurisdictions affected by the U.S. trade ban, carrying crude oil from Iran to Syria.[15] It was further noted that on 21 January Kandy had loaded 30,000 barrels of liquefied petroleum gas from Temryukskiy port, with her destination declared as Lebanon, but with no satellite tracking device aboard.[16][17]

References
  1. The vessel Kandy is also known as Candy or Venice.
  1. "14 dead after fire on two vessels off Crimea coast". 21 January 2019.
  2. "Two ships with Indian, Turkish crew catch fire in Kerch Strait, 14 dead; accident took place during fuel transfer". 22 January 2019.
  3. "Explosion sets ships ablaze off Crimea". BBC News. 21 January 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  4. "Two ships catch fire in the Black Sea, leaving at least 14 sailors dead: Russian officials". National Post. 21 January 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  5. Reporters, Telegraph (January 22, 2019). "Fourteen dead after fire engulfs two gas tankers off Crimea". The Telegraph – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  6. Bergman, Jamey (25 January 2019). "Two LPG carriers still burning near Crimea after apparent fuel transfer blast". Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.
  7. "Explosion and Fire Off Crimea Kill 11 Sailors". The New York Times. 21 January 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  8. "Ships on fire in Black Sea are in Russia's territorial waters — maritime transport agency".
  9. "Ships with Indian, Turkish crews catch fire in Kerch Strait, 11 dead". thehindubusinessline.com. 22 January 2019.
  10. "6 Remain Missing After Black Sea Ship Fire | Voice of America - English". www.voanews.com.
  11. "LPG Tanker Explosion Kills 11 Near Kerch Strait". THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE. 21 January 2019.
  12. Voytenko, Mikhail (25 January 2019). "LPG tankers fire still on. Why Kerch Strait turned into death zone". FleetMon.
  13. "6 Indian sailors killed, 6 missing in ship accident off Russia - India News". The Times of India. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  14. "Exclusive: Ship in deadly Black Sea blaze was turned away from port over sanctions". Reuters. January 22, 2019 – via www.reuters.com.
  15. "Mayhem in Kerch Strait – cargo ship on fire VIDEO 6 UPDATES 14 dead 5 missing, Syria". FleetMon.com.
  16. "Tankers on fire in Crimea linked to breach of US sanctions on Russia". Financial Times. 22 January 2019.
  17. "Ship in Deadly Black Sea Fire Barred from Port over US Sanctions: Report".
External video
video icon Video footage of the incident
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