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All 23 Indian crew members aboard a Liberian-flagged oil tanker were rescued after the vessel caught fire following an attack by an unmanned vessel off Russia’s Black Sea coast, Russian authorities said.
The incident occurred on Tuesday near the Russian resort city of Sochi. The tanker, Aframax Rio, was attacked by an unmanned vessel, triggering a fire onboard, according to Russia’s Transport Ministry.
The ministry said all 23 crew members were Indian nationals and that no injuries were reported. Emergency teams rescued the sailors while firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control after its intensity decreased.
Authorities in Sirius, in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, temporarily closed nearby beaches as a precaution while emergency crews dealt with the fire. Air and water quality were also monitored in the area.
The incident comes amid growing security risks for commercial shipping in the Black Sea, where vessels have increasingly faced attacks and other threats amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
