Crew evacuated after boxship suffers methane leak in Sakhalin, Russia

Port authorities in Sakhalin, Russia, have evacuated all 17 crewmembers of a locally-owned commercial vessel after it suffered a gas leak on Saturday, February 25.

The containership Fesco Tatarstan was at berth at the Port of Korsakov on Sakhalin Island when a valve installed on its upper deck began emitting methane gas on Saturday.

The wind direction at the time meant that the potentially harmful gas was blown farther out to sea, preventing it from posing a danger to people in nearby residential areas. However, authorities decided to evacuate the crew as a precautionary measure.

Port officials said they are awaiting the arrival of a specialised team that will offload the tank fitted with the faulty valve.

No injuries have been reported among the crew.