Russian oil tanker spills 560,000 gallons
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ROSTOV-ON-DON, RUSSIA — Massive waves split a Russian oil tanker in two Sunday, spilling at least 560,000 gallons of fuel into the Strait of Kerch in the region’s worst environmental disaster in years.
The 18-foot waves during a fierce storm also sank two Russian freighters in the narrow strait, which links the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov to the northeast. Eight sailors from one freighter were missing, but rescuers saved all the crew members from the other vessel and those from the tanker.
As many as 10 ships sank or ran aground in the Strait of Kerch and in the nearby Black Sea. Reports said three other sailors were dead or missing.
The broken tanker, the Volganeft-139 -- loaded with nearly 1.3 million gallons of fuel oil -- was several miles from shore. Stormy weather was preventing emergency workers from collecting the spilled oil, which was sinking to the seabed, authorities said.
“There is serious concern that the spill will continue,” said Oleg Mitvol, head of the state environmental safety watchdog Rosprirodnadzor.
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