An oil tanker caught fire in the Black Sea off Sochi. The head of the administration of the federal territory "Sirius", Dmitry Plishkin, reported the fire on the evening of October 6: Sirius beaches are temporarily closed to vacationers, and the condition of water and air is being monitored jointly with Roshydromet.
To ensure the safety of citizens, Sirius beaches will be temporarily closed. Constant monitoring of water and air conditions is carried out jointly with Roshydromet. I ask residents and guests of the federal territory to refrain from prolonged outdoor stays and, if possible, not to open windows in premises.
Apparently, this refers to the Aframax Rio oil tanker flying the Liberian flag, which had been drifting offshore for several days. According to MarineTraffic data, the AFRAMAX RIO vessel is located in the same place where the fire occurred. The vessel left the Turkish port of Tuzla and was anchored off Samsun. On September 19, it set sail, and according to the AIS system, its next destination is Constanta, Romania, where it is expected to arrive on September 22. Around 6:00 PM, fire engulfed the entire vessel — the tanker was almost fully loaded with crude oil. The captain managed to request evacuation for the 23 crew members.
Eyewitnesses report that a thick column of black smoke rises hundreds of meters above the sea and is visible for tens of kilometers, and the fire is "spreading" across the water — this, according to public estimates, may indicate depressurization of tanks and oil product leakage. According to city residents, there were no loud explosions before the fire.
Residents of Sirius are asked to refrain from prolonged outdoor stays and not to open windows: according to local residents, the central areas of the city are covered in smog. The results of air and water monitoring in Sirius are promised to be published as they become available.
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