All 23 Indian crew rescued after tanker set ablaze off Russia's Black Sea coast

All 23 Indian crew members were rescued after the Aframax Rio caught fire off Russia's Black Sea coast following an unmanned vessel attack. There were no injuries, while firefighters battled the blaze and authorities closed nearby beaches during the operation.Black smoke seen coming out the the tanker off Russia's Black sea coast. ( Photo- X/clashreport)An emergency rescue operation on Tuesday saved all 23 Indian crew members of a Liberian-flagged tanker after it caught fire off Russia's Black Sea coast following an attack by an unmanned vessel, the Russian Transport Ministry said.The ministry said the entire crew of the Aframax Rio comprised Indian nationals and that no injuries were reported. Emergency crews rescued all 23 members as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.According to the ministry, firefighters had sufficient resources to tackle the fire after the intensity of the blaze decreased.A large fire is burning on the water off Sochi tonight, with footage showing a long line of flame and a massive black smoke column visible across the city — consistent with burning oil from a tanker. Ukrainian-aligned accounts claim the tanker was hit. Russian sources say only that a vessel near the port is on fire with the cause unknown.— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 6, 2026Regional authorities in Sirius, a settlement in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, had earlier reported the fire aboard the tanker. Authorities subsequently closed beaches in the area to the public as emergency operations continued. Dmitry Plishkin, head of the Sirius federal territory administration, said beaches in Sirius were closed following the fire, while water and air quality were being continuously monitored."According to atmospheric air quality monitoring data, pollutant concentrations in the Sirius Federal Territory remain many times lower than the maximum permissible concentrations and pose no threat to health," Plishkin said. - Ends