Ongoing rescue mission after two barges carrying 64 people drift into open sea in Russia

Two barges have drifted into open sea in Russia. They are believed to be drifting southwards. There are 64 shift workers on board, as reported on Wednesday, August 24.

Strong wind and rough sea conditions has ripped two barges carrying 64 people from a tugboat in Russia’s Nikolayevsky district of Khabarovsk Krai, near Baidukov Island.

A Russian Mi-8 helicopter is preparing to take off from Khabarovsk to the Nikolayevsky district and equipment from the air search and rescue centre of the Federal Air Transport Agency in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur with rescuers on board has been put on standby.

The tugboats Vostok and Vityaz are reportedly en route. The operation has been hampered by a storm, low clouds and heavy rain. There has been no communication with the barges for several hours.

The duty captain of the Marine Coordination and Rescue Centre alerted all vessels in the area. Around 10 am local time on August 24, thetug boat Vostok left Nikolaevsk-on-Amur to attempt to reach the accident site.

It is estimated that the rescue mission will take at least 5 hours.

The other tugboat Vityaz left the port of De-Kastri, 190 km away. The situation is under the control of the Crisis Management Centre of the Emergency Situations Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations for Khabarovsk Krai, as reported by Todaykhv.

The news of the two barges drifting into open sea in Russia, follows reports of the former Mayor Yevgeny Roizman being detained in Yekaterinburg, Russia, as reported on Wednesday, August 24.

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