News

Russian nuclear icebreaker collides with tanker – no radiation release reported

Publish date: March 24, 2009

The nuclear powered icebreaker Yamal collided with the tanker Indiga during ice escort in the Kara Sea last week, the Barents Observer reported.

The accident occurred in the Gulf of Yenisey on the March 16th, the Ministry of Transport’s Coordination Centre for Salvation Operations at Sea told the news agency Sea News.

The tanker suffered a 9.5 meter long crack on its main deck from the impact of the collision. The tanker was only carrying ballast at the time, and there was no pollution of the environment in the accident, said the Barents Observer.

No damage to the Yamal or its nuclear reactor has been reported.

The Indiga tanker, which is 16.168 tons dead weight, belongs to Murmansk Shipping Company. It shuttles between the oil terminal in the Gulf of Ob and the floating oil storage vessel “Belokamenka” in the Kola Bay, the paper reported.

The tanker is now being followed by the Yamal to the White Sea, where it will be escorted by a salving ship to Arkhangelsk for repair, the paper said.