Two Russian tankers in the Black Sea have sustained significant damage on Sunday, December 15, due to bad weather.
As per Reuters, an oil tanker carrying thousands of tonnes of oil products split during a powerful storm, causing an oil spill.
The incident occurred in the Kerch Strait, a body of water that separates Russia from occupied Crimea.
Russian investigators have now opened two criminal cases to investigate potential safety violations after at least one person was killed in an accident.
A rescue and oil spill clean-up operation is currently underway, with the help of tugboats, helicopters and involving more than 50 personnel.
Russia's federal sea and inland water transport agency, Rosmorrechflot, wrote in a statement, "Today, as a result of a storm in the Black Sea, two tankers, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, sank.”
It added, “There were crews of 15 and 14 people on board the ships. The accident resulted in a spill of oil products.”
Each of the two tankers has the capacity of carrying around 4,200 tonnes of oil products.
As per the local media outlets, the 136-meter Volgoneft 212 tanker, was carrying a crew of 13 and was carrying around 4,300 tonnes of fuel oil.
Meanwhile, the 132-meter-long Volgoneft 239 was carrying a crew of 14 people and has a capacity to carry around 4,200 tonnes of oil.
