The Sea of Azov Springs a Leak
The Black Sea and the Sea of Azov witnessed past weekend Russia’s record string of shipwrecks that involved seven vessels. In the strait that the sailors think most difficult for navigation, the storm raged with the waves of four meters to five meters. As a result, some 2,000 tons of fuel oil and several thousand tons of sulfur are in the water now. It is the disaster for the Sea of Azov, the environmental experts say.
The storm in the Sea of Azov – the Black Sea area with the wind of up to 25 m/sec gained force late November 10, the alarm was delayed and quite a few ships failed to escape to safe water.
Volgoneft-139 tanker was the first victim reported. The vessel was torn in two, spilling some 2,000 tons of fuel oil into the sea. The tanker’s aft with 13 crew members drifted in the sea till it reached low water two miles from the Tuzla bar. Luckily, there were no victims amid the crew. But the strong wind hampered all rescue efforts. The sailors were saved only around 5:00 p.m., as the rescuers didn’t miss a short lull in the storm.
Meanwhile, Volnogorsk dry freighter with over 2,600 tons of sulfur aboard sank at 10:25 a.m. near the Kavkaz port; the sulfur didn’t reach water, as all cargo had been pressure-sealed. The crew escaped in a raft and safely sailed to the same Tuzla bar.
The news of Nakhichevan freighter shipwreck came at 11:50 a.m. It was carrying 2,000 tons of sulfur. Of 11 sailors, only three have been rescued so far.
The fourth victim was Kovel freighter (sulfur again) that crashed into the sunk Volnogorsk, got the hole and sank itself. The crew safely changed Kovel for a tow boat.
At the same time, Turkish Ziya Kos and a Georgian ship (with 800 tons of metal aboard) ran aground close to Novorossiisk port. Fortunately, there were no victims that time.
At 11:50 a.m., Volgoneft-123 got the crack in the board and was towed to Temryuk port. Dika barge (4,149 tons of fuel oil) was washed to Tuzla bar, and the storm carried another barge, Demetra (3,757 tons of fuel oil), towards Tuzla bar as well.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Nov. 12, 2007
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