The 72 meter long, 1964 dwt tanker Yara Gas II suffered a fire in the Gulf of Finland near Helsinki, Finland. The Yara Gas II was headed to Porvoo in ballast when a fire broke out in the engine room. The crew quickly responded and was able to extinguish the blaze. The Coast Guard dispatched a patrol boat and rescue helicopter to the scene. Reports state the vessel had drifted into Estonian waters and has dropped anchor. No reports of injuries or pollution released.
The 172 meter long, 25096 dwt freighter Amazon collided with the 23 meter long fishing vessel Florence in thick fog in the Gulf of Finland. The Amazon left St. Petersburg, Russia bound for India when it struck the fishing vessel in zero visibility. The crew of the Amazon didn’t realize they had struck the Florence, but had struck some small object floating in the water. The Florence was severely damaged and sank in a few minutes. The four crew on the Florence were able to board a life raft and were later rescued by a Finnish patrol boat. The men suffered minor bruises. No reports of injuries of the 24 crew on the Amazon. Authorities questioned the crews of both vessels and are conducting an investigation into the incident.
The 4870 dwt motor vessel Kholmogory became disabled in the Gulf of Findland after a mechanical failure. The Kholmogory was proceeding to St. Petersburg, Russia from Norrkoping, Sweden. The Kholmogory was towed to a port in Sweden for repairs.