-
OMAN CONFRONTS ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER OFF DHOFAR COAST DUE TO GROUNDED TANKER
DETAIL INFORMATION
Oman is encountering an ecological disaster as the Russian dark fleet Supermax, the Caroline Bezengi (IMO 9224439), starts to break apart while stranded on rocks at the southwestern end of Jazirat Al Qibliyyah, one of the Hallaniyat Islands near Dhofar in the southwest region of Oman. On June 8, the crew of the tanker reported an explosion occurring aboard while the vessel was near Dhofar, and according to The Maritime Executive, footage reviewed by Reuters seemed to indicate leaks from the ship.
Constructed in 2001, the 274-meter (899-foot) ship has a deadweight tonnage of 159,168 dwt. Functioning under the name Caroline Bezengi since 2023, it flies a flag of Cameroon. The flag, nonetheless, seems to be illegitimate, since the ship was among those removed from the Cameroon registry in June due to the effort against sanctioned tankers.
The tanker, sanctioned by the EU, UK, and US (OFAC) and previously linked to Russian state shipowner Sovcomflot, had departed from Novorossiysk and was headed for India. The vessel seems to have been deserted by its crew roughly three days afterward. The current location of the crew is uncertain, but officers from the ship, after evacuation, have been helping Omani authorities evaluate the state of the abandoned vessel.