Ministry of Transport statement on tanker explosions in the Black Sea: 'Result of external interference'

An explosion occurred in the engine room of a tanker named Karios, which was sailing in the Black Sea approximately 28 miles off the coast of Kandıra, opposite Şile. While initial assessments suggest the explosion may have been caused by the ship hitting a mine, it was reported that the ship is at risk of sinking.

Search and rescue and support teams were dispatched to the region, and it was learned that the 25 personnel on board are in good health and evacuation efforts are ongoing.

STATEMENT FROM THE DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF MARITIME AFFAIRS

The Directorate General of Maritime Affairs made a statement regarding the accident on social media. The statement included the following:

The empty KAIROS tanker, which was sailing to the Russian port of Novorossiysk, reported a fire caused by an external impact 28 miles off our coast. The 25 personnel on board are in good condition; our rescue units have been dispatched to the area for the evacuation of the seafarers, and the process is being monitored.

EXTINGUISHING EFFORTS CONTINUE

Governor İlhami Aktaş said, "Around 18:00, a fire broke out on a ship heading to Russia, approximately 30 miles off the coast of Kefken. It has a crew of about 25 people. Relevant institutions took action as soon as they received news of the incident to intervene from the sea. Medical teams were also prepared on land. The area has been reached. The evacuation of the crew is currently underway. Information has been received that the crew members are in good condition. The fire continues on the ship. One person remains on the ship. Efforts to rescue them are ongoing. Extinguishing efforts are currently continuing," he said.

STATEMENT FROM THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE

The statement made by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure included the following:

"For the 274-meter-long tanker named KAIROS, which has 25 people on board and reported an explosion and fire in the Black Sea while sailing from Egypt to Russia (52 miles from Istanbul's Türkeli Lighthouse), our Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure's KEGM-9 and KEGM-10 fast rescue boats, our KURTARMA-12 tugboat, and our NENE HATUN Emergency Response Ship were immediately directed to the scene, and the 25 personnel on board were safely taken from the sea by our KEGM-10 boat."

ANOTHER TANKER WAS HIT

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure's Directorate General of Maritime Affairs reported that rescue units were directed to the scene for a tanker named VIRAT, which reported being hit approximately 35 nautical miles off the coast in the Black Sea, and that the 20 personnel on board are in good condition.

The Directorate General shared the information on the social media platform account of the US-based company X.

The post stated, "The tanker named VIRAT reported being hit approximately 35 nautical miles off the coast in the Black Sea, and rescue units and a commercial ship were directed to the scene. The 20 personnel on board are in good condition, and heavy smoke has been detected in the engine room. The process is being monitored."

25 PERSONNEL ARE IN GOOD CONDITION

A fire broke out on the tanker named 'KAIROS', which was sailing to the Russian port of Novorossiysk off the coast of Kefken, Kandıra. Efforts were initiated to rescue the 25-person crew on board. In a statement made by the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs, it was said, "The empty KAIROS tanker, which was sailing to the Russian port of Novorossiysk, reported a fire caused by an external impact 28 miles off our coast. The 25 personnel on board are in good condition; our rescue units have been dispatched to the area for the evacuation of the seafarers, and the process is being monitored."

Footage of the fire on the foreign-flagged ship off the coast of Kefken in Kocaeli's Kandıra district has been obtained. Additionally, the Ministry of Transport announced that the 25 people on board have been evacuated.

Directorate General of Maritime Affairs: "The tanker named VIRAT reported being hit approximately 35 nautical miles off the coast in the Black Sea, and rescue units and a commercial ship were directed to the scene. The 20 personnel on board are in good condition, and heavy smoke has been detected in the engine room. The process is being monitored."

The 25 personnel from the foreign-flagged ship that caught fire off the coast of Kefken in Kocaeli's Kandıra district have been brought to Kocaeli. Making statements on a live broadcast regarding the fire on the ship, Kocaeli Governor İlhami Aktaş said, "The ship was reached off the Black Sea. The health of the personnel is good. The 25 crew members on the ship that caught fire were evacuated to the shore. The fire on the ship is being intervened. Research into the cause of the fire is ongoing. In the phone call we just had with the General Directorate of Coastal Safety, information was received that the fire is continuing; it was confirmed that the Large Rescue Ship Nene Hatun and a tugboat were directed to the region to intervene in the fire. There is no definitive information yet regarding the cause of the fire. As we all follow from the footage, a large-scale fire has occurred on the ship. Despite this, I would like to thank all our personnel for their efforts in ensuring that 25 people were rescued safely and brought to the shore," he said.

Governor Aktaş also stated that there is no clear information yet regarding the allegations that the ship hit a mine. Aktaş added that the condition of the personnel on the ship named Virat is also good.

RUSSIAN MEDIA: MINES AND UAVS HIT THE SHIPS

According to reports in the Russian media, which included allegations that both ships were attacked, mines and kamikaze UAVs hit the ships. The reports also included information that the Kairos ship could sink.

"THE EXPLOSION WAS THE RESULT OF EXTERNAL INTERFERENCE"

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said the following in a live broadcast program he attended:

"Information came in around 17:00 that there was an explosion on a ship. Our Coastal Safety is on alert regarding this matter. We directed two rescue boats to the region. We also dispatched the Nene Hatun ship, one of the largest ships in the world, there. They brought the 25 crew members to land safely. There is no problem with the health status of the personnel.

The cause of the explosion will of course be clarified, but our initial findings are that the explosion was the result of external interference. Extinguishing efforts are continuing.

Regarding the VIRAT ship, our Coast Guard teams approached the region; it is also currently being intervened. Both ships were ships heading to Russia."