[Regnum] A criminal case has been opened following the sinking of the Russian dry cargo ship Ursa Major in the Mediterranean Sea. This was reported on December 24 by the press service of the Western Interregional Investigative Department for Transport of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.
A criminal case was opened under Part 3 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Violation of safety rules for the movement and operation of water transport, resulting through negligence in the death of more than two people”).
According to investigators, Ursa Major sank on December 23 in the Mediterranean Sea. The crew left the cargo ship in a lifeboat.
“The fate of two crew members who were at the epicenter of the incident is currently being determined,” the Russian Investigative Committee reported.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, the Russian dry cargo ship, which left St. Petersburg 12 days ago and was heading to Vladivostok, sank between Spain and Algeria. The Spanish publication Español reported that an explosion occurred in the ship's engine room.
On November 24, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that 14 crew members of the sunken dry cargo ship had been rescued. Two more people were listed as missing. According to the rescued sailors, the cargo on board included empty containers in the hold and two cranes on the deck.
The Spanish Maritime Search and Rescue Agency later said that a Russian warship had assumed responsibility for rescue operations at the Ursa Major wreck site after consultation with Spanish authorities.
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Russian warship takes on rescue operations after Ursa Major sinking
[Regnum] A Russian warship has assumed responsibility for rescue operations at the site of the wreck of the Russian cargo ship Ursa Major in agreement with the Spanish authorities. This was reported on December 24 by the Spanish Maritime Search and Rescue Agency.
They noted that the day before, when the distress signal was sent, the ship was approximately 57 miles (approximately 91 km) from the coast of Almeria.
“Having contacted a nearby vessel, it reported bad weather conditions and a lifeboat in the water, ” Izvestia quoted the agency’s statement as saying.
Rescuers found 14 people in the boat and took them to Cartagena. People reported that the ship had empty containers in the hold and two cranes on the deck as cargo.
It is noted that the Ursa Major dry cargo ship sank at night. The Spanish Maritime Service continues to work in the area of the wreck, removing floating objects that are dangerous to navigation and checking the waters for pollution.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on December 24 it became known about the wreck of the Russian vessel Ursa Major in the international waters of the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria. The Spanish publication Español indicated that the cause of the incident was an explosion in the engine room. The vessel, under the Russian flag, left the port of St. Petersburg 12 days ago and was heading to Vladivostok, where it was supposed to arrive on January 22.
The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed information about 14 rescued crew members. Two more are missing. The duty shifts of the Department of the Situation and Crisis Center of the Foreign Ministry, the situation center of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation and Russian foreign institutions are monitoring this situation.
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Tankers sunk in Black Sea violated seasonal navigation restrictions
During an inspection, Rostransnadzor found that the tankers that sank in the Kerch Strait violated seasonal restrictions on navigation in the water area. This was reported by the Russian Ministry of Transport on December 24.
“Several tankers belonging to Volgatransneft CJSC are not included in the license for the transportation of dangerous goods by inland water and sea transport,” the ministry’s Telegram channel stated.
It is noted that the Ministry of Transport continues to monitor the situation in the waters of the Kerch Strait.
According to the latest data, more than 170 square kilometers of water area have been surveyed. Vessels of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Morresluzhba" subordinate to Rosmorrechflot have cleared over 24.3 thousand square meters of fuel oil. 2705 kg of neutralizing sorbent have been used to eliminate oil products. 19 vessels are participating in the work.
Specialists also cleared 4.8 thousand square meters of beaches and coastal areas, collecting about 14.5 tons of oil-containing waste. 200 meters of boom barriers were placed in river mouths and estuaries.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on December 15, two tankers carrying fuel oil sank in the Kerch Strait during a storm. As a result of the emergency, a partial leak of oil products occurred. Due to the current situation, a high alert regime was introduced in four settlements of the region. At the same time, the head of the Krasnodar Territory, Veniamin Kondratyev, emphasized that there is no threat to the environmental situation in the region.
On December 24, the Russian Emergencies Ministry reported that rescuers and volunteers had collected more than 21,000 tons of oil-contaminated soil on the coast of Kuban and Crimea. More than 9,500 people and 437 units of equipment are working on the ground.
The owner of one of the tankers has already committed to lifting it and disposing of it. Confirmation from the second is expected soon. The elimination of fuel oil from coastal areas is ongoing from morning until late at night. The main work is being carried out in two areas - from Blagoveshchenskaya to Vityazevo and from Vityazevo to the central beach of Anapa, the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources noted.
A unified headquarters of volunteers who are helping to clean up the shore has opened in Anapa. Among those involved in the cleanup are volunteers from the "We Are Together" campaign, members of the "Movement of the First", "Young Guard of United Russia" and "People's Front".