Fuel spill in Kerch Strait, as five ship sank

At least two sailors died and 23 were missing on Sunday when five ships sank in storms in the Black Sea and the Azov Sea, the official Russia Today Web site said. The strong winds and high surf caused the Volgoneft-139 to split in two, spilling up 560,000 gallons of fuel oil. The Volnogorsk and the Nakhichevan -- each carrying about 2,000 tons of sulfur -- also broke apart as a result of the high waves and strong winds

The weather was hampering efforts to control the spill, which occurred in the Kerch Strait, the official said. The channel separates the Black Sea from the Sea of Azov. The spill was moving toward the Ukrainian coast and Russia and Ukraine have set up a joint crisis center to deal with the disaster, the official said. Link