Сrew of the burning PALFLOT 2 evacuated

Baku. 23 April. REPORT.AZ/ The crew has been evacuated while the Russian Emergency Ministry prepares amphibious firefighting aircraft to extinguish the fire on the vessel. 

Report informs citing the Russian media, the vessel in distress is currently drifting in Turkmenistan’s territorial waters some 800 kilometers from Russia’s nearest port, Astrakhan. All 18 crew members have been evacuated from the ship by another Russian vessel, emergency agency sources told Russian media.

There has been a report of a crew member dying in the incident, but the Russian Emergency Ministry has not confirmed this information.

According to the Emergency Ministry, the tanker was not transporting any oil products at the time.

The ministry is currently readying a Be-200 amphibious firefighting aircraft that could reach the burning vessel and try to put the fire out remotely, without people getting onboard.

Palflot’s port of commission is city of Taganrog, a port in the Azov Sea connected with the Caspian Sea via a system of waterways.