Oil spill in Russia

Captain remanded in custody after tanker accident

(Bild: AP/The Russian Southern Transport Prosecutor's Office)

Following the tanker accident in the Black Sea, a captain has been remanded in custody for two months. He is said to have violated the safety and operating rules of maritime traffic. As reported, two tankers crashed in a storm in the Kerch Strait last Sunday.

One crew member lost his life. At the time of the accident, the tankers "Volgoneft 212" and "Volgoneft 239" are said to have been carrying 13 to 15 crew members each. According to a video, one tanker broke in two and half of it sank. The crew had to wait several hours before they could be rescued.

The ships are said to have been carrying more than 9,000 tons of heavy fuel oil, of which more than 3,000 tons are believed to have leaked into the sea. In a question and answer session on television, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke of a catastrophe and environmental damage.

Here you can see footage of the incident last Sunday.

He had ordered the oil spill to be cleaned up in several stages. Oil booms had to be laid, which had not been possible so far due to the weather, said Wenjamin Kondratjew, governor of the Krasnodar region. The oil must then be quickly removed from the coast. Later, a plan is needed for the spring, when oil drifts up from the bottom.

According to Kondratjew, more than 5,000 emergency personnel and volunteers are on site to clean up the oil spill. Around 860 tons of oil have been collected so far.