Two crew members are missing out on after a Russian state-owned cargo ship sank in worldwide waters in the Mediterranean Sea after an explosion on board, Russias Foreign Ministry stated Tuesday.The Ursa Major sank after a surge in the engine room, the ministrys crisis system stated, adding that 14 team members were saved and required to the Spanish port of Cartagena while another 2 remained missing.Spains sea rescue service stated in a declaration that the ship sent out a distress signal Monday morning when it was off the coast of southeastern Spain in bad weather, reporting that the ship was listing and a lifeboat had actually been introduced.
It dispatched a helicopter and rescue boats and took the survivors to port, where they were helped by the Red Cross.A Russian warship then arrived and organized the rescue operation given that the ship was between Spanish and Algerian waters, after which the Ursa Major sunk over night.
According to the survivors account, the cargo ship was carrying empty containers in the hold and two cranes on deck, the Spanish rescue service said.The ships owner Oboronlogistika, which belongs to the Russian Defense Ministry and also provides civilian transportation and logistics, said the Ursa Major was bring harbor cranes and hatch covers for icebreakers.Russias Foreign Ministry stated the ship is owned by a subsidiary of Russias Oboronlogistika, which comes from Russias Defense Ministry and also provides civilian transport and logistics services.
A map on Oboronologistikas site shows the business covers a route from Novorossiisk, in southern Russia, to Tartus, Russias naval base in Syria.The Ursa Major is listed on MarineTraffic.com as a 124.7-meter (409-foot) long basic freight ship cruising from Saint Petersburg to Vladivostok in Russias Far East.Oboronlogistika provided a press release recently with photos of the ship in port, saying it would transport a big and heavy load of cranes and hatch covers for icebreakers toVladivostok.
It stated this was part of state efforts to establish ports and the northern sea path through the Arctic.