Russian authorities said that two Russian oil tankers with a crew of 29 on board were severely damaged in the Black Sea amid bad weather and are now leaking oil.
Video released by Russia’s Southern Transport Prosecutor’s Office, which the BBC has not been able to verify, appears to show one of the tankers broken in half and sinking in a severe storm, with streaks of oil visible in the water.
At least one crew member is believed to have died, and Russian authorities are investigating for criminal negligence, according to the TASS news agency.
The incident occurred in the Kerch Strait, which separates Russia from the occupied Crimean Peninsula.
The rescue and clean-up operation is underway with the participation of tugboats, helicopters and more than 50 personnel, TASS news agency reported.
The Russian Federal Maritime Transport and Inland Waters Agency, Rosmorikhflot, said in a statement: “Today, as a result of a storm in the Black Sea, two tankers, Volgunft-212 and Volgunft-239, sank.”
She continued: “There were a crew of 15 and 14 people on board the two ships. The accident led to the leakage of oil products.”
Reuters reported that the two tankers have a loading capacity of about 4,200 tons of oil.
The full extent of the oil spill remains unclear.
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