Rescuers cannot get close to the attacked tanker with Russian oil

Rescue work on the tanker Caroline Bezengi, which previously reported an explosion on board off the coast of Yemen, cannot begin due to the weather.

"Weather conditions and operational difficulties impeded rescue operations to eliminate the consequences of an oil spill from a stranded tanker in a protected marine area off the coast of Oman," Reuters reports, citing the Sultanate's state news agency.

As noted in the agency, the oil spill from the tanker Caroline Bezengi, apparently, the result of an unexplained attack on the ship in June and it spread through the nature reserve, reaching the coast of Oman.

The Director General of Maritime Affairs of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology of Oman, Mohammed bin Abdullah al-Rawahi, said that difficulties arose due to monsoon rains, as well as shallow waters and rocky terrain.

These conditions create "operational and navigational risks" for rescue vessels and equipment, the official said.

As EADaily reported, the Caroline Bezengi tanker, which is under sanctions, transported 800 thousand barrels of Russian oil from Novorossiysk. The 274-meter tanker first reported problems off the coast of Yemen in June — after, according to maritime sources, an explosion occurred.

Neither side claimed responsibility for the attack on the ship, which was traveling from Russia to India, Reuters notes.

It is known that until 2020 the tanker Caroline Bezengi was called "SKF Altai" and until 2020 it was directly owned by Sovcomflot and its structures. According to Equasis, the vessel is now registered and managed by companies registered in China.