A fire broke out Thursday aboard a Russian-bound tanker off the coast of Kandıra district in Türkiye's Kocaeli province, prompting an emergency rescue operation for the vessel’s 25 crew members, authorities said.
The tanker KAIROS, sailing empty toward Russia’s Novorossiysk port, reported a fire about 28 miles off Türkiye’s Black Sea shores, the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs said in a statement. Officials noted the blaze was believed to have been triggered by an “external impact,” though the cause has not yet been confirmed.
“All 25 personnel onboard are in good condition,” the agency said, adding that rescue units were dispatched to evacuate the crew and monitor the situation.
The Kocaeli Governor’s Office said teams from the Coast Guard, Coastal Safety Directorate, emergency response units and ambulances were dispatched to the scene.
“Necessary interventions are under way,” the statement said.
A person with direct knowledge of the matter said that a second tanker, Virat, also suffered a blast further east in the Black Sea.
Both Kairos and Virat are on a list of ships subject to sanctions imposed against Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to LSEG data.
The Kairos was sailing under the Gambian flag and in ballast when the incident occurred, the Tribeca shipping agency said.
It said reports indicated that the ship may have struck a mine and be in danger of sinking, adding that rescue tugboats and coast guards were dispatched to assist.
Some of the crew were evacuated by a nearby ship, a shipping source said.
Shipping traffic through the strait continued, the agency said.
