Moscow:
A Russian oil tanker carrying thousands of tonnes of oil products broke up 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.
At least one person was killed.
The 136-metre Volgoneft 212 tanker, with 15 people on board, was split in two when its bow sank, images published by state media showed, as waves washed over the deck.
The Russian-flagged ship, built in 1969, was damaged and ran aground, officials said.
“There was a spill of petroleum products,” said Rosmorrechflot, Russia's water transport agency.
A second Russian-flagged ship, the 132-meter Volgoneft 239, drifted after sustaining damage, the Emergency Situations Ministry said. It has a crew of 14 people and was built in 1973.
Both tankers have a loading capacity of approximately 4,200 tons of oil products.
Official statements provided no details about the extent of the spill or why any of the tankers suffered such severe damage.
The ships were in the Kerch Strait, between the Russian mainland and Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, when they sent distress signals.
Russia said more than 50 people and equipment, including Mi-8 helicopters and rescue tugs, had been deployed to the area.
Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that the tanker Volgoneft 212 was carrying about 4,300 tons of fuel oil.
An unverified video on Telegram showed some blackened water on stormy seas and a half-submerged tanker.
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