2 ships catch fire in Kerch Strait

Several killed after 2 ships catch fire in Kerch Strait, one ‘rocked by blast’

Two ships have caught fire while moving through the Kerch Strait separating Crimea from mainland Russia, after one of them was apparently rocked by an explosion. At least 10 sailors have died, Russian Maritime Agency said.

One vessel was “allegedly struck by a blast,” which caused the fire that then spilled over to another ship, an official with the Russian Maritime and River Transport Agency said.

Clouds of black smoke can be seen billowing over a vessel engulfed by a blaze on YouTube footage, which shows the scene of the incident. Another ship can be seen floating nearby.

Some three dozen sailors managed to escape the burning ships by jumping off the vessels. At least 10 people died in the incident and 12 have so far been rescued from the sea. Eight sailors are still listed as missing.

The crews of the affected ships included Turkish and Indian nationals, the emergency services said, adding that there were no Russian sailors. Turkey confirmed that 16 of its citizens were aboard the affected vessels.

Between eight and ten ships have been sent to the rescue and are picking up the sailors, the emergency services said. The explosion might have been caused by a safety rules violation during the fuel transfer, according to some reports.

Both vessels were flying Tanzanian flags. One of them was a liquefied natural gas carrier and another one was a tanker. The fire broke out as the two ships were transferring fuel from one to the other.

Maritime traffic was not affected by the incident and navigation through the Kerch Strait is still open, the director of the Crimean Sea Ports said.


The image is not as "covert" as made out; it is in the video above, arrived by RT.

TWO SHIPS ON FIRE IN KERCH STRAIT -- TORPEDOED ????

Hal Turner,

21 January, 2019

Two large tanker/freighter vessels are on-fire in the Kerch Strait between Crimea and Russia as of 11:18 AM eastern US time on Jan. 21, 2019.

Images of one ship burning suggest the vessels MAY have been . . . torpedoed.

One of the vessels was clearly rocked by an explosion. At least one sailor has died, Russian Maritime Agency says.

One vessel was “allegedly struck by a blast,” which caused fire that then spilled over to another ship, an official with the Russian Maritime and River Transport Agency said.

Clouds of black smoke can be seen billowing over a vessel engulfed by a blaze on YouTube footage, which claims to show the scene of the incident. Another ship can be seen floating nearby, although it is unclear, if it caught on fire as well.

The image below, obtained via Covert Intelligence, suggests these ships were TORPEDOED.   The image, taken through what seems to be a submarine periscope, says all that needs to be said . . .

Subscribers can see this covert image by logging-in.  If you are not yet a subscriber, you can subscribe and gain fast access by clicking the Subscribe button above.

Sailors from the burning ships were seen jumping into the sea, where they were being picked up by rescue vessels. One person died and more than three dozen sailors were rescued. The crews of the affected ships consisted of 17 and 14 people, including Turkish and Indian nationals. 

The image below appears to have been taken from a Submarine.  It is not yet known if either of the ships on fire were TORPEDOED:

Both vessels were flying Tanzanian flags. One of them was reportedly transporting liquefied natural gas.

Maritime traffic was not affected by the incident and navigation through the Kerch Strait is still open, the director of the Crimean Sea Ports said.