Shipping industry news, on November 28 local time, in the waters near the Black Sea’s Bosphorus Strait, two oil tankers successively exploded and caught fire. Rescue operations have been swiftly launched.
It has been confirmed that the two tankers are the “M/T Kairos” and the “M/T Virat”. Both vessels reported explosions or fires due to external causes.
The Turkish Ministry of Transport stated that the oil tanker “M/T Kairos”, 274 meters (898 feet) long and flying the flag of Gambia, exploded and caught fire in the Black Sea while en route from Egypt to Russia. It is reported that local relevant departments immediately dispatched emergency vessels to the scene, and all 25 crew members have been safely rescued.
The Turkish Directorate General of Maritime Affairs stated that the “M/T Kairos” was heading to the port of Novorossiysk, Russia, and reported a fire 28 nautical miles (51.8 kilometers) off the Turkish coast caused by “external impact”.
Furthermore, the second tanker, the Russian oil tanker “M/T Virat”, was hit approximately 35 nautical miles (64.8 kilometers) offshore in the eastern Black Sea. The cause of the explosion is still unclear. Currently, rescue units and a merchant ship have been dispatched to the scene to carry out rescue operations.
Reports indicate that dense smoke was detected in the engine room of the “M/T Virat”, but all 20 personnel on board are in good condition.
According to London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) data, both the “M/T Kairos” and the “M/T Virat” were on the list of vessels sanctioned by the West following the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict.
In recent years, there have been multiple incidents of ships hitting mines in the Black Sea, and floating mines have also been discovered.
Currently, ship traffic through the Bosphorus Strait remains unaffected.
