Two ships have caught fire while moving through the Kerch Strait separating Crimea from mainland Russia, Russian officials said. One of the vessels was apparently rocked by an explosion.
One vessel was “allegedly struck by a blast,” which caused fire that then spilled over to another ship, an official with the Russian Maritime and River Transport Agency said.
Clouds of black smoke can be seen billowing over a vessel engulfed by a blaze on YouTube footage, which claims to show the scene of the incident. Another ship can be seen floating nearby, although it is unclear, if it caught on fire as well.
Sailors from the burning ships were seen jumping into the sea, where they were being picked up by rescue vessels. The crews of the affected ships consisted of 17 and 14 people, including Turkish and Indian nationals. All sailors are alive, a source with the emergency services told Interfax news agency.
Both vessels were flying Tanzanian flags. One of them was reportedly transporting liquefied natural gas.
Maritime traffic was not affected by the incident and navigation through the Kerch Strait is still open, the director of the Crimean Sea Ports said.
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