Explosions hit fuel tanker in Russian port of Ust-Luga: Details emerge
Photo: Explosions occurred on a fuel oil tanker in the Leningrad region (t.me/bazabazon)
A tanker Koala, suffered an accident in the Russian port of Ust-Luga in the Leningrad region on Sunday, February 9. Explosions occurred on the tanker, after which it began sinking, according to Russian media.
On the night of February 9, the Koala tanker, flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, was at the third dock in the Ust-Luga seaport. The crew on board consisted of 24 people, including four Russians, eight Georgians, and twelve Indonesians.
Around 130,000 tons of fuel oil had been loaded onto the tanker during the night. As the vessel was preparing to depart, three powerful explosions were heard in the engine room.
According to Russian media, the crew managed to make it to shore, but the ship's engine room began to flood. By morning, the vessel had run aground at the stern.
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (MChS) set up boom barriers around the tanker. Russian authorities claim that no oil product leaks were detected and that there were no casualties.
The Governor of the Leningrad Region, Alexander Drozdenko, stated that "a technological incident occurred on the tanker during the engine startup, resulting in damage to the engine room." He added that the tanker is moored at the dock.
Earlier, on the night of February 9, a Chinese bulk carrier also suffered an accident near the coast of Sakhalin. The vessel sustained a hole and ran aground.
According to Russian reports, the bulk carrier Ang Yang-2 was carrying 56 tons of diesel fuel, 706 tons of fuel oil, and 1,000 tons of coal. At the time of the accident, the vessel had 20 crew members on board.
