Another rescue vessel, the Rubin, will be sent to the burning Vincent trawler that has been on fire off the shores of Sakhalin for three days, a source at the Sakhalin emergency and rescue service told Itar- Tass on Thursday.
The flames on the Vincent trawler have reached the fuel tanks. Its captain says there are about 30 tons of diesel fuel onboard. “There is a threat that the petroleum products will also go ablaze,” the service’s duty officer said.
The Rubin will tow the burning trawler to shallow waters where rescuers will suppress the fire.
The Vincent was discovered on Tuesday by the captain of the Professor Probatov research vessel. According to the ship’s captain, it could be caused by a short-circuit failure. Thirteen crewmembers, including four wounded, were evacuated from the burning vessel. At present, three of them are staying in hospital in Korsakov with burns of various degrees. The captain said the bodies of four dead crewmen were still onboard the burning vessel.