One seafarer died and two others were critically injured after toxic gas leaked onboard the Panama-flagged, Turkish-owned chemical tanker Swanlake on 19 November. The ship’s chief officer was detained due to the ongoing investigation.
The vessel, loaded with sunflower oil, was anchored several miles off the Turkish coast with 13 Russian crewmembers aboard. A crewmember first reported dense gas coming from a slop tank or cold storage tank. He went to check the area and collapsed. Two other sailors entered the space to assist him and were also overcome by the fumes. A fourth crewmember, using an oxygen tank, pulled all three out.
When emergency teams boarded the vessel, the first sailor had already died. They transferred the other two to a shoreside hospital, where they remain in critical condition. The rest of the crew were later evacuated for safety.
Initial tests showed hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide in the tank area. Authorities believe the gas formed during tank cleaning after cargo discharge, possibly due to a mix of cleaning fluids and wastewater inside the slop tank. Turkish media also reported that the leak may have come from a heavily insulated cold tank after it had been emptied.
The chief officer of the Swanlake was detained as Turkish authorities opened an investigation into the poisoning incident.
