Explosions disable tanker Koala in Russia's Ust-Luga port

Three explosions hit the engine room of the 160,000-dwt tanker Koala as it prepared to leave Russia's Baltic port of Ust-Luga on 9 February, The Maritime Executive reports. The engine room flooded and the stern settled on the bottom, but all 24 crew got off safely and no pollution was reported. The 22-year-old ship, Turkish-owned and Cypriot-managed, had changed flag four times in a year and was carrying fuel oil. The regional governor called it a man-made incident during engine start-up; Finland put spill responders on alert.

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