The Indian crew has been evacuated and no injuries have been reported so far. Authorities are waiting for the fire to subside before rescue vessels approach safely.
Oil continues to burn in the Black Sea after an attack by unmanned boats on the Aframax Rio tanker. All 23 crew members, who are Indian nationals, have been rescued; no injuries have been reported so far. Russia’s Transport Ministry said this after an emergency staff meeting led by Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin.
Firefighting will begin once the blaze has weakened enough for rescue vessels to approach the tanker safely. The ministry said the available personnel and equipment were sufficient to address the incident.
Sochi Mayor Andrey Proshunin said specialists at the Roshydrometcenter were calculating the direction in which combustion products could spread. An automated monitoring station continues to track air and water quality; a detailed assessment was planned for the morning.
Beaches in the federal territory of Sirius were closed to visitors. Its administration head, Dmitry Plishkin, urged residents and visitors to avoid staying outdoors for long periods and to keep windows closed.