Two vessels in Kerch Strait (close to Crimea Russia) caught fire on Monday, January 21, when an explosion occurred, which forced crew members to jump into the sea. At least 9 people were killed.
The explosion happened late-Monday afternoon when an LNG carrier ( ship transporting liquefied natural gas) was transferring cargo to another vessel south of Crimea.
31 crew members were onboard the Tanzania-flagged ships, including citizens from Turkey and India. Some jumped into the sea trying to escape the flames. At least seven ships responded to the accident to help rescue the crew.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately known.