Russian tanker broken in half in the Black Sea

[Jens Heri]

From ABC news:
A Russian oil tanker has broken in half during a storm, spilling about 1,300 tonnes of oil in the Kerch Strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Russia's Transport Ministry says the stern and rear of the tanker tore apart in heavy winds in the area, which is divided between Russia and Ukraine.

"Tanker Volga-Neft, carrying some 4,000 tonnes of black oil on board, broke in half during a storm at a stop south of Port Kavkaz," a spokesman said.

A ministry spokeswoman says rescue efforts are being hampered by the harsh weather conditions.

But she says the 13 crew stranded in the rear end of the ship are not in danger.

[Sten Wärnfeldt]

from the Swedish Radio;

There's 1 more oil tanker, (still unidentified) listing in the rough sea. Waves are said to more than 5 meters in the area now.

[miraflores]

Another cargo ship carrying 2,000 tonnes of sulphur sank nearby and its nine crew members were rescued.  

Source: BBC

According to Sky News.com is the tanker named: VOLGONEFT-139,
IMO 8849608   

rgds
Juergen

[Bruce Sutherland]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7089317.stm

Picture and Video..

Must have been some storm!

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=8e779ce2-3eba-4b6f-bd05-47db52c87645&k=58604
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/11/11/russia.spill/#cnnSTCVideo

[Bruno Leonardo Pricoli]

They were 5 vessels while they were 4 cargo and 1 tank.
The ship tank appears to have caused a leak of oil with about 1,300 liters.

[Alan Smillie]

Some more info on the Black Sea.


ALERT>> Five ships sunk in Kerch Straight storm - 23 people missing>> Russian tanker M/V Vologneft-139 tore apart and sank in heavy weather spilling 1,300 tonnes of fuel oil into the Black Sea on Nov. 11. Four other cargo ships including three carrying sulphur also sank as winds of up to 108 kilometres (67 miles) an hour battered the Kerch Strait separating the Black Sea from the Sea of Azov. Forty vessels were evacuated from Kavkaz, a busy Russian commercial port some 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) south of Moscow, officials said. Ten others were forced to stay in the port because of the storm. Some 300 kilometres further west, high winds sank another cargo ship with 17 sailors on board. Two were rescued and 15 crew reported missing. M/V Kovel, carrying sulphur, sank after hitting another Russian cargo ship, M/V Volnogorsk, which also sunk in the five-metre high waves and raging winds.

Report taken from the "The Cargo Letter" website.

[Timsen]

The rescue ship „Svetlomor 3“ was sent  9.30 a.m. from Novorossiksk. An Ukrainian Antonov An 30 and a Russian helicoter were on standby. About 50 ships were in distress, about 20 sailors missing. Three bodies believe to beling to the  „Nakhichevan“ were found in the morning of Nov 12. The tank m/v had sunk with a cargo of 3500 tons sulphur. 3 men were rescued from a raft, 8 missing.
The tank m/v “Volgoneft-139” (IMO 8849608) broke in two at 2.45 a.m. with 4077 tons oil on  45.12.3 N 036.31.9 E. The crew  of 13 was rescued from teh stern which remained afloat. The ship had been underway from Samara into the Ukraine. The tugs “Poseidon” and  „Kapitan Zadorozhniy“ were trying to get the drifting foreship under control.
15 sailors of the Georgian cargo m/v „Hadsch Ismael“ which sank 300 km west of Kaskav with a cargo of scrap close to Sevastopol. 2 men were rescued and taken to hospital.
The tank m/v „Kovel“ carrying sulphur was in collision with the tank m/v „Volnogorsk” carrying 2400 tons sulphur. Both ships sank. The crew of 9 of the “Kobvel” was rescued as well as the sailors of the “Volnogorsk”.
The barge „Demetra“ broke lose from ist anchor and drifted with a cargo of 3000 tons oil towards Tuzla Spit.
The Russian cargo m/v "Vera Voloshina" with a cargo of machines underway from Romaniia to Russia grounded in the Eastern region of the Ukraine. It stuck fast near Kabardinka, 30 km Southeast of Novorossisk and in danger of breaking through. 15 men were evacuated, 4 remained on board. Another ship grounded was the Turkish cargo m/v „Ziya Kos“, which ran aground off a beach promenade.

[mooringman]

what a mess!!!what kind of idiots are responsible for this mess?i know,there are old ships,i know the broken tanker from years ago in the baltic.this vessels can go at sea only with good weather,in former times the vessels were looking for sheltered places with wind over bft 6.but these time i saw old coasters lying at anchor in weather and sea state like this,instead to go anchor up and head with bow in the sea....i heard,there was a weather warning from 100km wind.i just can't understand,what was going on there....

[Marek Gono]

mooringman: I'd guess it was going on delivery times, business etc., simply on MONEY. As all the time.

BTW, is there a final lsit of ships involved?