ANKARA, August 26. /TASS/. The Russian Consulate General in Istanbul confirmed the deaths of two sailors on the Russian cargo ship Navis 2.

"According to the information available to the Consulate General, an accident occurred on August 23 onboard the Russian ship Navis 2, which was anchored at the port of the city of Bandirma, resulting in the death of two crew members. The bodies of the victims were taken to the city morgue. Local law enforcement authorities are investigating the circumstances of their deaths," the diplomatic mission said on Telegram.

Russian diplomats are "in contact with the relevant authorities, the agent company and the captain of the ship to coordinate steps to prepare the necessary documents and repatriate the bodies of the victims to the Russian Federation," according to the consulate.

The incident was reported by the Sabah newspaper on August 24. According to the report, Konstantin Martynov, 46, and Dmitry Mochalov, 52, are believed to have been poisoned from inhaling a gas in the ship’s hold. The bodies of the seamen were taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in the city of Bursa. According to the company that provides agency services to the ship, the seamen died after falling through one of the deck hatches. As for the gas poisoning theory, the company said there was no definitive conclusion yet.