Crimea ship fire: 14 dead after explosion on board vessel near Russia border
Five sailors missing
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Fourteen crew members have died after two commercial vessels caught fire while anchored near the Kerch Strait, close to the Crimea-Russia border, according to the Russian Transport Ministry.
Five more sailors are misssing.
The ships had crews of 31 people in total, made up of 16 Turkish citizens and 15 Indian ones.
Russian media reported that one of the vessels was hit by an "explosion" and people on board jumped into the water to escape the blaze.
The Federal Agency for the Sea and River Transport said the fire erupted while fuel was being pumped from one tanker to another.
The blaze then spread from one ship to the other, according to Russian news agencies.
Rescuers pulled 12 people alive from the water and recovered 11 bodies.
A further three bodies were spotted but were not recovered.
The rescue mission is ongoing.
Both ships, the Maestro and the Candy, sail under the Tanzanian flag.
In November, Russia detained three Ukrainian navy vessels and their crews in the Black Sea near the Kerch Strait, fuelling tensions between the two countries.
Relations between the nations have remained volatile since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
Additional reporting by agencies
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments