Ankara: Trkiye's rescue units successfully evacuated all crew members from the tanker ship, KAIROS, which encountered a fire on Friday, as announced by the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs on the US social media platform X. The KAIROS tanker, which was empty at the time, caught fire due to an external factor while it was 28 miles (45 kilometers) off Trkiye's coast, en route to the port of Novoroski, Russia.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs confirmed that all 25 crew members aboard the KAIROS are in good condition following their evacuation by the Directorate General of Coastal Safety. In a separate incident, the directorate reported that another tanker, VIRAT, was hit approximately 35 nautical miles offshore in the Black Sea. Rescue teams and a commercial vessel were dispatched to the VIRAT, with all 20 crew members reported to be in good condition.
The directorate later clarified that there was no fire or emergency aboard the VIRAT, which sustained damage in the Black Sea. The crew did not request to abandon the ship. To address potential emergencies, a tugboat equipped with firefighting and towing capabilities was sent to the area.
Abdulkadir Uraloglu, the transport and infrastructure minister, communicated on Turkish social media platform NSosyal that operations are being conducted in full coordination with relevant institutions following the explosions on both the KAIROS and VIRAT tankers. The KEGM-10 and KEGM-9 fast evacuation boats, along with the tugboat KURTARMA-12 and the Emergency Response Vessel NENE HATUN, were immediately dispatched to manage the situation.
The minister emphasized that the 25 crew members on the KAIROS were rescued by the KEGM-10 boat. He also stated that the 20 crew members on the VIRAT are in good health, with coast guard teams actively responding to the incident. The minister expressed gratitude to the personnel of the General Directorate of Coastal Safety for their swift and professional response, which was crucial in managing the situation effectively.