Overloaded Russian cargo ships explodes and sinks in Mediterranean Sea

Russian cargo ship Ursa Major sank in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain and Algeria. The accident took place on December 23 in international waters between the Spanish Aguilas and the Algerian Oran. A rescue operation was carried out in the disaster area.

Photo: fws.gov by Kevin Bell, https://creativecommons.org/public-domain/pdm/

Sinking ship

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed reports about the sinking of the Russian vessel.

It is believed that the accident occurred due to an explosion in the engine room, the Spanish newspaper El diario vasco said citing its sources.

The Russian Foreign Ministry later confirmed this information.

"The Russian cargo ship Ursa Major (owned by SK-YUG LLC) sank in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea after an explosion in the engine room," the ministry said.

At the time of the sinking, there were 16 crew members on board the Russian vessel. All of them are citizens of the Russian Federation. Rescuers evacuated most of the crew. However, two people went missing and are still unaccounted for.

The crews of the fishing vessels that were staying in the area where the accident occurred came to the rescue first.

The Ursa Major is a universal dry cargo ship of the RO-RO/LO-LO class. The ship was heading to the Far East. She was heavily loaded before departure. The vessel was carrying port cranes weighing 380 tons each and 45-ton hatch covers for new icebreakers, the Oboronlogistics transport company said in a statement on December 20. The ship sank after 12 days of travel.

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Ursa Major also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation in the northern sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory. Its Latin name means "greater (or larger) bear", referring to and contrasting it with nearby Ursa Minor, the lesser bear.