The death of the heroes of the arsenal in the Black Sea. Wreck of a cargo ship: crew of the ship “Heroes of the Arsenal” rescue in the Kerch Strait
Last update: 04/20/2017
April 19 in the Black Sea in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Kerch crossing. The signal was received by the Crisis Management Center at 03:54 local time. The last time the ship’s crew got in touch 14 kilometers from the coast, the sea depth in this area reaches 100 meters.
Map of the search operation area at the shipwreck of the bulk carrier Heroes of the Arsenal in the Black Sea. Photo: RIA Novosti / EMERCOM of Russia
What caused the crash?
According to preliminary data, the cause of the collapse of the cargo ship “Heroes of the Arsenal” in the Black Sea was unfavorable weather conditions in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Kerch crossing. According to the press service of the Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport of Russia (Rosmorrechflot), a dry cargo ship split in two in a severe storm, and then sank.
How many people were on board?
On board were 12 people. According to media reports, it was possible to save one crew member and get the bodies of three more people out of the water, as well as to find two empty wetsuits. This was announced by the head of the marine rescue coordination center Novorossiysk (MSC Novorossiysk) Alexei Kukhol. According to RIA Novosti, nine out of 12 crew members are citizens of Ukraine, two are citizens of Russia, and one is Georgia.
Crew
A. Vedernikov (Russia)
D. Pateev (Russia)
L. Kajaya (Georgia)
A. Bitsyura (Ukraine)
N. Ganchevsky (Ukraine)
I. Glazko (Ukraine)
A. Goncharenko (Ukraine)
A. Mesnyankin (Ukraine)
A. Pantyukhov (Ukraine)
D. Sinyuk (Ukraine)
K. Chernenko (Ukraine)
M. Svechkar (Ukraine).
What is a dry cargo ship?
"Heroes of the Arsenal" - a dry cargo ship. The ship was built in 1980 at the Slovenian shipyard Komarno in Yugoslavia.
The length of the vessel is 114 meters, the width is 13 meters, the draft is 3.86 meters, and the deadweight is 3 thousand 553 tons. The ship had two Skoda engines, allowing the bulk carrier to go at a maximum speed of 8.7 knots (about 16 kilometers per hour).
For eight years, the ship worked in Kaliningrad, after which it was transferred to Kherson. The ship was renamed in honor of the workers of the Kiev Arsenal plant, who staged an uprising against the Ukrainian Central Council in January 1917.
In 2013, Heroes of Arsenal was sold to the Turkish company US Deepblue Shipping. Since February 2015, the cargo ship was flying the Panamanian flag and was operated by the Turkish company Gunes Shipping.
What was the cargo ship route?
The cargo ship "Heroes of the Arsenal", flying the flag of Panama, followed from the city of Azov to Turkey with a cargo of grain.
Who is involved in the rescue operation?
In search of the crew involved about 140 rescuers who use 17 pieces of equipment. The bishop, armada navigator, barnet, aigas and aelos ships, the Mi-8 helicopter, two divers, the Falcon 300 underwater vehicle are at the scene of the incident. The tugboat Demidov also connected to the search operation. The search for a cargo ship is complicated by weather conditions, a four-point storm at sea.
A criminal case has been instituted on the fact of the shipwreck under article 263 of the Criminal Code of Russia.
Rescuers continue to search for crew members of the sunken bulk carrier Heroes of the Arsenal. Recall that at 03:54 a.m. on Wednesday, April 19, in the Kerch Strait the cargo ship "Heroes of the Arsenal" disappeared from the radars. The crash occurred 15 miles (almost 28 kilometers - Auth.) from the village of Taman.
At 05:34, one victim in a life jacket with signs of severe hypothermia was found and lifted aboard the Armada Navigator vessel (the water temperature in the strait was seven to eight degrees above zero). He was given first aid.
Komsomolskaya Pravda - Kuban contacted a crew member of the tanker, which is nine kilometers from the place of emergency.
Now the search continues. Five minutes ago, the Demidov tugboat reported that they had found the man, but it is not yet known whether he was alive or not. And also two more crew members watched in the water. There is only one saved so far - this is a Ukrainian by the name of Chernenko, he is 35 years old. He was a minder on the ship, - said "KP" igor Timofeev, member of the crew of a tanker located in the Kerch Strait. - As far as I know, there is one dead - we saw a load of 200. A little later they reported that in the water they noticed another person in a wetsuit. They are trying to catch him, but so far they cannot.
Here is such weather today in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Kerch Strait. South-west wind over 20 m / s and a wave under 4-5 meters. Arsenal Heroes suffered a disaster at night. Not far from our steamer, in the distance, a pair of cable dragged a steamer from which the anchor broke.
An empty liferaft raft and two inverted boats were also found.
At 15:00, rescuers discovered another wetsuit in the water. But later it turned out that it was empty.
In the Black Sea, near the Kerch crossing, the cargo ship “Heroes of the Arsenal” crashed, flying under the flag of Panama from Azov to Turkey with a cargo of grain.
About it reports GU EMERCOM of the Russian Federation in the Crimea.
“On April 19, 2017, the Heroes of the Arsenal ship wrecked in the Black Sea,” the agency said.
The Russian vessels Bishop, Armada Navigator, Barnet, Aigas and Aelos, which were in the area, were sent to the rescue operation area. Also, a rescue ship "Demidov" was connected to the search.
“At 06:20 he arrived in the search area from the port of Kerch. A rescue helicopter flew from Rostov-on-Don to conduct a search and rescue operation, ”the Ministry of Emergencies said.
The department noted that the storm complicates the search - the south-west wind is up to 20 m / s, the sea swell is up to four points. The day before, a storm warning was announced in the region. According to the Ministry of Emergencies, the SOS signal from the ship's captain arrived on Wednesday at about 03:54 Moscow time.
“Previously, the dry cargo ship could have comments on the technical condition, however, this cannot be clearly stated. All documents will be checked, ”said a source in international marine search and rescue services.
Nikita Gavrilyak, an official representative of the Ministry of Emergencies in the Krasnodar Territory, said that almost 130 people, 16 pieces of equipment and eight boats were involved in the search for the vessel.
According to the head of the press service of the Crimean Ministry of Emergencies, Vladimir Ivanov, one of the twelve crew members of the Heroes of the Arsenal ship was put on board in a state of severe hypothermia, and another four made visual contact.
“Rescuers see people in life jackets, unfortunately, they cannot lift them aboard a lifeboat. They are carried away from the ship by a strong wave. While their condition is not clear, ”said Ivanov.
He also clarified the citizenship of 12 crew members: 9 citizens of Ukraine, 2 - of the Russian Federation and one - of Georgia.
A source in the international marine search and rescue services said that “previously, according to the crew’s report, during a shipwreck, they encountered a severe storm. The crew failed to cope with the elements, and the ship sank. "
“Due to a severe storm, a dry cargo ship with a displacement of 3.5 thousand tons split in two and sank,” the Rosmorrechflot press service said.
As of 9:00, three out of 12 crew members of the sunken ship were rescued, an official representative of the Southern Investigation Department for Transport of the IC of the Russian Federation said.
“According to investigators in the crash area, the rescuers were able to pull three sailors out of the water, information on the remaining crew members is being clarified,” he said.
A case has been instituted on the fact of a cargo ship collapse in accordance with paragraph 3 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (violation of safety rules for the operation and operation of railway, air, sea and inland water transport, resulting in the death of two or more persons).
Alexey Gromov
The Ukrainian ship "Heroes of the Arsenal" sank on Wednesday night off the coast of Crimea. To date, the salvation of one sailor has been confirmed. In addition, at least three dead were reported. The fate of the remaining crew members is unknown, rescue operations are ongoing. The Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case on the fact of the collapse and possible death of two or more people.
Chronicle of the tragedy
The cargo ship “Heroes of the Arsenal” loaded with grain, transporting grain from the city of Azov, Rostov Region, to Turkey, disappeared from the radar screens at 04:00 Moscow time. Six minutes earlier, a ship carrying 12 crew members, including one woman, sent an SOS signal received by the Crimean Ministry of Emergencies.
Help was late: the ship sank 27 kilometers from the coast of Crimea in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Kerch Strait.
Who was aboard the sunken ship
The crew of the “Heroes of the Arsenal” consists of 12 people, of which nine are citizens of Ukraine, two citizens of the Russian Federation and one sailor from Georgia. The list of seamen of the ship “Heroes of the Arsenal”: citizens of Ukraine - Bitsyura, Ganchevsky, Glazko, Goncharenko, Mesnyankin, Pantyukhov, Sinyuk, Svechkar, Chernenko (saved); Georgian citizen Kajaya; citizens of the Russian Federation - Vedernikov and Pateev.
What was the weather like in the crash area
Now we can say with a high degree of certainty that one of the possible causes of the tragedy was the storm that raged in the region of the Crimean coast. At the time of the crash, the cargo ship was on a roadstead in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Kerch Strait, where a storm warning was announced on the evening of April 18. Wind speed reached 25 m / s at night.
How to save the sailors
According to the republican Ministry of Emergency Situations, the specialists of the Southern Regional Search and Rescue Squad, including six divers, were involved in rescuing the sailors, and the Falcon submarine was also involved. Also, 139 specialists from the Novorossiysk and Temryuk fire and rescue garrison participated in the search for the missing sailors, and special equipment was involved.
Who was saved
At 05.34 a.m., the first and, so far, the only rescued sailor, a 35-year-old Ukrainian by the name of Chernenko, who worked as a minder on the ship, was lifted aboard one of the ships that advanced into the area of \u200b\u200bthe tragedy.
Information about four more rescued sailors, which appeared in some media, was not confirmed in the Ministry of Emergencies. From unofficial sources it is known that the rescuers allegedly found four more people in life jackets, but could not reach them because of the storm.
The fate of the remaining sailors is still unknown. It should be borne in mind that a storm continues in the crash area, wind gusts reach up to 20 m / s., Navigation is temporarily stopped, and the water temperature in the Kerch Strait does not exceed 8 ° C.
According to the Maritime Directorate responsible for the ferry service in the Kerch Strait, according to the forecast, the storm will continue for two days.
Criminal case
Upon the crash, the Southern Investigation Department for Transport of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case under the third part of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Violation of the rules for the safety of traffic and operation of maritime transport, resulting in the death of two or more persons through negligence." We note that officially the death of people in this crash is not yet affected, the operation, which continues in the Kerch Strait, is considered to be rescue.
Possible causes of the crash
In addition to the storm raging in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Kerch Strait, the cargo itself turned out to be a dangerous factor, since the grain, if loaded incorrectly during a strong load, can be poured from side to side, creating imbalance and provoking a rupture or turning of the vessel.
Also, many Internet users say that the cargo ship was quite old, he was 37 years old. At the same time, this is far from the age limit for old Soviet vessels; they are distinguished by sufficient reliability. At the same time, it is not known how professional the crew was, and whether the owner invested a sufficient amount of money in the repair of the ship and in maintaining it in working condition.
What is known about the ship
The cargo ship "Heroes of the Arsenal" is owned by the Turkish company Gunes Shipping & Trading, the ship sailed under the Panamanian flag.
This is a dry cargo ship of the Volgo-Balt type, project 2-95A / R. The ship was built in 1980 at the Slovenian shipyard. At first, the ship was assigned to the Northwest River Shipping Company of the Ministry of River Fleet of the RSFSR and was based in Kaliningrad.
In 1988, the ship was transferred to Kherson (then the Ukrainian SSR, now Ukraine), joined the interdisciplinary state association Ukrrichflot and was named “Heroes of the Arsenal”, in honor of the workers of the Kiev Arsenal plant, who rebelled against the Ukrainian Central Council in January 1917
Until 2013, the vessel was operated by Ukrrichflot, which then resold it to the Turkish company Gunes Shipping. Since February 2015, the ship was officially called Geroi Arsenala.
In March - April 2017, the cargo ship went along the route Hereke (Turkey) - Azov - Rostov-on-Don - Poti (Georgia) - Azov. On its last voyage, the ship left April 15 from Azov.
Ukrainians, as always, are blamed on the "invaders"
At the moment, the rescue operation and investigative actions are ongoing, but users of the Ukrainian segment of social networks have already found the culprit, and yes, you guessed it right - these are the "invaders", that is, Russia, which includes Crimea along with the Kerch crossing. Say, they overlooked, and therefore blame. And they have already reproached that the help did not come immediately, although it is known that the wreck occurred in the conditions of a severe storm, and the ships hastened to help simply could not approach the ship in distress
The most, let’s say mildly, sadly, that some Ukrainian users at the same time hastened to accuse, perhaps, the deceased fellow citizens of betrayal. At the same time, some users are willing to replicate fakes, which supposedly Ukrainian vessels do not allow for rescue operations.
Here are examples of such comments:
Well done, Ukrainians. They flooded the enemy cargo ship without sparing their lives. Probably the one who was rescued will soon give an interview in the Republic of Tajikistan with a story about his right-wing security (“Right Sector” *, the organization’s activities are banned in the Russian Federation - approx. FAN), and the FSB will report on the capture of another SBU spy.
The bridge has strengthened! In a Nakhimov style!
Yes, to hell with it, grain (54 wagons), on the ship sunk in the Kerch Strait 9 Ukrainians, and no one is taken to save the Ukrainians, because / Russians / do not give. Ukrainian rescue ships are not allowed! Still accused of extremism!
And the answers:
What are you rejoicing idiots? The ship is under the Panamanian flag, most of the crew are Ukrainians. Keep jumping, / bad people /.
It is necessary to service the ships, and not to ride on the Maidan!
And, it seems, the cry of the soul of one of the users was not heard:
Come to your senses! People are dead!
* Organization is prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation.
According to experts, the ship crashed due to violations by the captain of the rules of navigation: the cargo ship of the "river - sea" class had to wait out the storm in a calm bay.
Bad weather could cause the collapse of the cargo ship "Heroes of the Arsenal" in the Kerch Strait. The ship could split in two and sink, bumping into a big wave.
Now the rescue operation in the crash area continues. Rescuers managed to pull out of the water five of the 12 crew members. The search for the rest is complicated by strong waves and wind.
The cargo ship "Heroes of the Arsenal", traveling from the city of Azov (Rostov Region) to Turkey with a cargo of grain, crashed in the early morning in the Kerch Strait, 20 kilometers from the coast. The SOS signal from the ship was received at 03:54 Moscow time.
The ship split in two and sank. On board were 12 crew members: two Russians, 9 citizens of Ukraine and one of Georgia. Eight ships and a helicopter were sent to the crash site at once. In total, 139 people are participating in the rescue operation.
According to preliminary data, only five sailors were saved, the rest are still reported as missing. The condition of one of the survivors is assessed as serious. He has severe frostbite: the water temperature in the strait is seven to eight degrees heat.
The search for the rest of the team is complicated by a four-point storm and gusty winds of up to 20 meters per second.
A criminal case has already been opened in the UK under the article "Violation of traffic safety rules". Now investigators have to figure out what caused the crash.
According to experts interviewed by Life, it was precisely bad weather that could have caused the crash.
It’s too early to talk about the causes of the crash. But the fact that the ship split in two can indicate that it hit a big wave, the bow and stern sagged, and the ship fell apart, ”said Alexander Zaitsev, president of the Association of Ports and Shipowners of River Transport.
Igor Kovalchuk, chairman of the Russian Union of Sailors, agrees with him.
The fact is that the bulk carrier "Heroes of the Arsenal" belongs to the type of river-sea vessels, therefore, when a storm occurred, the ship had to go into shelter, and not continue the course, Kovalchuk is sure.
According to him, during a storm at sea of \u200b\u200b3-4 points - namely, such a force was a wave on the Black Sea on the night of April 19, 2017 in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Kerch Strait, where the tragedy occurred - the risk of a crash increased sharply.
It cannot be ruled out that during the storm the cargo shifted in the cargo ship holds (according to preliminary data of the Ministry of Emergencies of the Russian Federation, the ship was transporting grain) - and the ship with a displacement of 3,500 tons split in two and sank, expert Igor Kovalchuk told Life. - Tragedy, most likely, could have been avoided if the captain of the dry cargo ship complied with the rules of navigation and, knowing about the upcoming storm of 3-4 points, would go to the nearest bay and wait out the elements.
Dozens of vessels of the Ministry of Emergencies and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation are involved in the search for the crew.
According to the RF IC for the Krasnodar Territory, the cargo ship Heroes of the Arsenal was flying the flag of Panama and belonged to the Turkish company Gunes shipping. The company owns another 14 bulk carriers.
The sunken cargo ship was built in 1980 in the Slovak city of Komarno. The original name is Volgo-Balt 224. Since 1988, he was renamed the "Heroes of the Arsenal." The vessel has a length of 113.87 meters and a width of 13.19 meters, with a gross tonnage of almost 2500 tons. Earlier, the owner of the vessel was the Ukrainian Ukrrichflot, but in 2013 the ship was transferred to the management of Us Deepblue Shipping, a New York company, which sold it already to Turkish Gunes shipping.