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Tanker in Sea of Azov badly damaged above waterline, not taking on water

Water should be pumped out of the vessel to keep it afloat, the Russian Agency for Maritime and River Transport told

MOSCOW, October 24. /TASS/. The General Azi Aslanov tanker sailing in the Sea of Azov has been severely damaged above the waterline, so is not taking on water, the Russian Agency for Maritime and River Transport told TASS on Saturday.

"The starboard side is badly damaged, but the damage is above the waterline. No water is coming in. The tilt of seven to ten degrees is not increasing," the spokesperson said.

According to him, water should be pumped out of the vessel to keep it afloat.

"A first group of specialists will board the tanker very soon to install these machines," the agency said.

A rescue boat and a tug have arrived at the scene.

"The Mercury [rescue tugboat] is still on her way. The Alexander Sizontsev and Impuls have arrived," he said.

According to the Maritime Rescue Service, the Alexander Sizontsev is a rescue boat equipped with oil containment booms and with special apparatus to collect oil products in case of a spill.

Incident on tanker

On Saturday evening, at about 19.00, an explosion rocked the oil tanker General Azi Aslanov sailing under the Russian flag from the Kavkaz port to Rostov-on-Don without a cargo. There were 13 crew onboard. Ten of them were rescued. A search and rescue operation is underway for the three missing sailors.

The cause of the emergency is being investigated. Safety violations and hot work might have caused the explosion, a source from the emergency services told TASS earlier.

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