Two Russian oil tankers sank in the Black Sea

Two Russian oil tankers with a crew of 29 on board sank in the Black Sea amid bad weather, and are now leaking oil, Russian authorities said.

A video clip spread on social media, and the BBC was unable to verify its authenticity, shows one of the tankers broken in two and sinking in the middle of a severe storm, with streaks of oil visible in the water.

The incident occurred in the Kerch Strait, which separates Russia from the occupied Crimean Peninsula.

The rescue and clean-up operation is underway with the participation of a tugboat, two helicopters and more than 50 personnel, TASS news agency reported.

The Russian Federal Maritime Transport and Inland Waters Agency, Rosmorikhflot, said in a statement: “Today, as a result of a storm in the Black Sea, two tankers, Volgunft-212 and Volgunft-239, sank.”

She continued: “There were a crew of 15 and 14 people on board the two ships. The accident led to the leakage of oil products.”