Two Russian oil tankers sank in the Black Sea

Two Russian oil tankers with 29 crew members on board sank in the Black Sea due to bad weather and are now leaking oil, Russian authorities said.

A video posted on Telegram by the Southern Transport Prosecutor’s Office, which the BBC was unable to verify, shows one of the tankers breaking in half and sinking in a heavy storm, with streaks of oil visible in the water.

At least one crew member is believed to have died, and Russian authorities are investigating criminal negligence, according to the TASS news agency.

The incident took place in the Kerch Strait, which separates Russia from the occupied Crimea.

A rescue and liquidation operation is underway with the participation of tugboats, helicopters and more than 50 people, reports TASS.

“Today, as a result of a storm in the Black Sea, two tankers “Volgoneft-212” and “Volgoneft-239” sank, – says the message of the Federal Agency of Maritime and Inland Water Transport of Russia “Rosmorrechflot”.

“There were crews of 15 and 14 people on board the vessels. As a result of the accident, there was a spill of petroleum products,” the report says.

Both tankers have a carrying capacity of about 4,200 tons of oil, Reuters reports.

The full extent of the oil spill remains unclear.