Turkish tanker sinks off Albanian coast

TIRANA

Two people were killed and another went missing Jan. 15 after a Turkish tanker under the Sierra Leone flag caught fire and sank in Albanian waters of the Adriatic Sea, a police spokeswoman said. 

Rescuers saved 12 members of the crew and were searching for the Azeri Captain, Hayyam Mammadov, police said. Two crew members Malkhaz Lazişvili and Beka Urşadze were citizens of Georgia. 

The tanker Edirne had a 15-member crew on board, including two women, originating from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Ukraine, according to Gazmen Tahiri, the head of the Albanian maritime department.
 
The boat unloaded some 3,000 tons of fuel and was leaving the northwestern Albanian port of Porto Romano when an explosion rocked the area 5.5 km from the coast, spokeswoman Ornela Ceko said. “The explosion occurred, and half an hour later the burning boat sank,” witness Besim Imeri told AFP by telephone. Those rescued were hospitalized in the nearby town of Durres.

Compiled from AA and AFP stories by the Daily News staff.