A tanker, the Seajewel, suffered two explosions on Friday at the port of Savona, Italy. The Malta-flagged vessel, which had arrived from Algeria, was preparing to offload its cargo when the incident occurred, according to the Italian newspaper Fatto Quotidiano.
Following the explosions, the tanker’s hull was damaged below the waterline, but no oil leakage was reported. The crew, who described the event as two loud bangs, were not injured. An investigation was launched to determine the cause of the damage and a hole was discovered in the hull, suggesting a possible explosion. The authorities in Savona have initiated an inquiry to clarify the circumstances.
Investigators are currently considering a range of possibilities, from a technical fault on board to a possible attack or a collision with a explosive device. The nature of the damage and the fact that it occurred below the waterline have led investigators to suspect that the tanker may have been the target of an attack, according to the report.
Ukrainian media reports suggest that the ship had previously transported oil from Russia on multiple occasions. The tanker was reportedly spotted in the Romanian port of Constanta and later sailed to Novorossiysk in southern Russia.