Moscow, 07 October (H.S.): A Liberian-flagged oil tanker, Aframax Rio, caught fire off Russia’s Black Sea coast on Tuesday after being attacked by drones and unmanned surface vessels. All 23 crew members aboard the tanker were safely rescued, and no injuries were reported, according to Russian authorities. Another report said that the rescued crew members were Indian nationals.

According to a report by TASS, Russia’s Transport Ministry said the tanker caught fire in the Black Sea near Sochi following the attack. Crude oil began burning in the open sea. The ministry said the tanker remained on fire and that firefighting operations would begin after the intensity of the blaze decreased. Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin said that sufficient resources and personnel were available to extinguish the fire.

Following the attack on the tanker, Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin held an emergency meeting to coordinate the response to the incident. The Transport Ministry said all crew members of the Aframax Rio had been rescued safely and that there had been no fatalities.

Meanwhile, beaches in the Sirius federal territory were closed, while air and water quality were being monitored. Dmitry Plishkin, head of the Sirius federal territory administration, said pollutant levels were several times below the permissible limits and posed no threat to public health.

The incident occurred near the Russian resort city of Sochi. Russian authorities said the tanker had been attacked by unmanned vessels. The Aframax Rio is a Liberia-flagged crude oil tanker carrying 23 crew members.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar