Naples, Italy – An engineer working on a Turkish-managed product tanker was tragically killed in an engine room explosion on Monday, January 8, while the vessel was underway in the Mediterranean. The incident occurred aboard the MT Torc, a Maltese-registered tanker with a capacity of 13,200 deadweight tons. The shipping company, Besiktas Shipping, based in Istanbul, has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion.
The explosion, identified as a boiler explosion, resulted in the severe injury and subsequent death of the second engineer, Mehmet Alta?, of Turkey. Despite efforts to arrange for an immediate medical evacuation, Alta? succumbed to his injuries before help could reach the vessel. The Italian Port Authorities and Coast Guard, Ankara MRCC, and Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs were all notified and involved in the response to the incident.
The vessel had recently undergone an “expanded inspection” without any issues identified or deficiencies cited. It departed from Greece on January 2, made a brief stop at the Malta anchorage on January 5, and was initially instructed to continue its course to Genoa following the explosion. However, its AIS signal now shows that it is inbound to Naples and expected to arrive this evening.
Besiktas Shipping, deeply saddened by the loss of its colleague, will work with authorities to determine the cause of the explosion. The company has also arranged for an investigation to be conducted by an international expert organization for further analysis of the incident.
The product tanker, acquired in 2020, operates in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. The company’s fleet consists of 34 ships, primarily product tankers, as well as bulk carriers and crude oil tankers. Besiktas Shipping works with major charterers in various shipping segments, including crude oil, product, chemical, gas, container, and dry bulk shipping.