Explosive Incident: Russian LNG Tanker Sinks in Mediterranean Near Libya

Incident Overview

Cairo: A tanker flying the Russian flag, which was transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG), experienced a catastrophic explosion and subsequently caught fire before sinking in the Mediterranean Sea near Libya, as reported by local authorities on Wednesday. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries.

This tanker was reportedly under Western sanctions and is believed to be part of Russia's covert fleet of energy vessels attempting to evade sanctions related to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The exact cause of the explosion remains unknown.

The Libyan Maritime Authority indicated that the Arctic Metagaz suffered a sudden blast, which was followed by a significant fire while it was approximately 240 kilometers (150 miles) off the coast of Sirte, Libya, on Tuesday.

The vessel, which was carrying 61,000 tons of LNG, ultimately sank between Libya and Malta. All 30 crew members were successfully rescued and transferred to another ship en route to Benghazi, Libya.

The Metagaz had departed from Murmansk, a city in northwestern Russia located on the Barents Sea, and was headed to Port Said in Egypt. Its last known location was in the western Mediterranean, off the coast of Malta, according to MarineTraffic, a maritime tracking service.