SIMFEROPOL, January 21. /TASS/. At least 14 people died in the fire that broke out onboard two vessels near the Kerch Strait, a source in the emergencies services told TASS on Monday.

"Eleven bodies were recovered, and three more sailors have drowned, according to preliminary information," the source said.

Nine people are missing after the fire broke out onboard two vessels near the Kerch Strait, the press service of the Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport told TASS. "Twelve people were rescued, nine people are missing. Thirty-two people in total. It turned out that there was also an intern from Tripoli onboard the Maestro ship," the press service said.

There is a threat of an explosion onboard the two vessels, and the rescue operation continues, a spokesman for the Novorossiisk maritime rescue center told TASS. "The rescue operation will continue until all of the crewmembers are found. There is a threat of gas explosion," the spokesman said.

On Monday, a fire broke out onboard two vessels near the Kerch Strait off Russia’s territorial waters. One of them, the Candy, had a crew of 17, including nine Turkish citizens and eight Indian nationals. The other one, the Maestro, had a crew of 14 (seven Turkish and seven Indian citizens).