A Russian tanker broke in half during a storm and spilled oil into the Kerch Strait

A Russian oil tanker carrying thousands of tons of oil products broke up during a strong storm on Sunday and spilled the oil into the Kerch Strait, Russian officials said.

The ships were in the Kerch Strait between mainland Russia and Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, when they raised distress signals.

Russian investigators have opened two criminal cases to look into possible safety violations after the 136-meter Volgoneft 212 oil tanker with 15 people on board split in two when it capsized, killing at least one person.

Images released on state media showed waves washing over her deck.

Officials said that the Russian-flagged ship built in 1969 was damaged and washed ashore.

An unverified video posted on Telegram shows slightly darkened water and a half-submerged tanker in stormy seas.

According to the information provided by the Ministry of Emergencies, the second ship sailing under the Russian flag, the 132-meter Volgoneft 239, was being towed after being damaged. It has a crew of 14 and was built in 1973.

The main route for the export of fuel, grain

The Kerch Strait is the main route for the export of Russian grain and is also used for the export of crude oil, fuel oil and liquefied natural gas.

In September, Ukraine accused Russia in an international court of violating maritime law by trying to keep the Kerch Strait under its control, which Moscow considers unfounded.

Emergency services said one person died, but 12 other people were evacuated from the first tanker. TASS news agency reports with reference to Alexey Kuznetsov, Assistant Minister of Health, that 11 of them have been taken to the hospital, two of them are in serious condition.

The Emergencies Ministry said it was still in contact with the other tanker and its crew after the ship ran aground 80 meters from the coast near the port of Taman in the southern Kerch Strait.

Each of the tankers has the capacity to load about 4,200 tons of oil products.

Official statements did not provide details on the extent of the spill or why one of the tankers was so badly damaged.

After Putin’s meeting with emergency and environment ministers, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov ordered the government to set up a task force to deal with rescue operations and mitigate the effects of the fuel spill.

Russia said more than 50 personnel and equipment, including Mi-8 helicopters and rescue tugboats, had been deployed to the area.

Svetlana Radionova, head of Russia’s natural resources control body Rosprirodnadzor, said that experts are assessing the damage at the scene.