Attempt to tow drifting Russian LNG tanker to Libyan port fails as vessel breaks free in rough weather
An attempt to tow the drifting Russian LNG tanker Arctic Metagaz to a Libyan port has failed, Libya’s Ports and Maritime Transport Authority said on April 2.
The tanker broke free from the tugboat in rough weather. Strong winds and high waves made it impossible to reattach the tow line. The authority declared the vessel “out of control” and warned other ships to stay away from it.
A fire broke out in early March aboard the Arctic Metagaz, a Russian-flagged tanker carrying more than 60,000 tons of liquefied natural gas, while it was in the Mediterranean Sea between Malta and Libya. The crew was evacuated, and the damaged vessel was left adrift with its cargo still on board. Russia has said the tanker was attacked by Ukrainian unmanned surface vessels.
Winds and waves pushed the tanker toward the Libyan coast. In late March, Libya’s National Oil Corporation announced that it was forced to take emergency measures and organize a towing operation to bring the drifting tanker into a Libyan port.
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