The search for the three missing crew members from the Russian General Hazi Aslanov oil tanker that suffered an explosion in the Sea of Azov has entered its second day, Russia's Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport (Rosmorrechflot) told Sputnik on Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th October, 2020) The search for the three missing crew members from the Russian General Hazi Aslanov oil tanker that suffered an explosion in the Sea of Azov has entered its second day, Russia's Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport (Rosmorrechflot) told Sputnik on Monday.
"The result of the search and rescue operation, unfortunately, is negative. Yesterday, the search continued for the entire day and through the night," Rosmorrechflot spokesman Alexei Kravchenko said.
The official added that some wrecked parts of the vessel had fallen off and sunken, however, the tanker itself was not at risk of being flooded.
"The tossing of the vessel was hampered by a segment of its deck � a very long piece of metal snapped by the explosion, which hung eight meters below the keel. ... This morning part of this metal fell off," Kravchenko said, adding that divers were on their way to clean up that section of the tanker.
On Saturday, local emergency services told Sputnik that two blasts, likely oil vapor explosions, had occurred aboard the General Hazi Aslanov tanker in the Sea of Azov following a fire outbreak. According to Rosmorrechflot, the oil tanker was sailing empty toward Rostov-on-Don.
A local branch of the Russian Emergencies Ministry said in a statement that there was no oil spill, according to preliminary information. The exact cause of the explosion on board the General Hazi Aslanov tanker is under investigation. Ten crew members had been evacuated.
