The Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Busan confirmed that the fire-damaged vessel Kaltan was moved to the port of Ulsan in South Korea for inspection and firefighting operations. The incident, initially reported by DEA News, drew rapid international attention as crews worked to assess and control the blaze on board.
The cargo ship Kaltan departed Vladivostok under the ownership of LLC Dalrybprom. A distress call was triggered when flames broke out, approximately 60 miles from Busan. While the crew attempted to combat the fire themselves, those efforts did not suffice, and outside assistance soon became essential. As the fire neared stabilization, a substantial response from Korea unfolded: 12 boats operated by the Korean Coast Guard and Fire Department collaborated with a responding helicopter to address the emergency. In addition, South Korea’s navy contributed critical resources, deploying a King Sejong the Great-class destroyer, a fast patrol craft, and a military aircraft equipped with flares to the scene to aid in extinguishing the blaze and supporting evacuation operations.
Earlier reports from Rosmorrechflot indicated that 19 sailors had been brought ashore from the burning Kaltan in South Korea, while the search for four sailors who remained unaccounted for continued. This information underscored the complex and evolving nature of the incident and the need for coordinated international response across maritime and shore-based units.
Officials noted that the two evacuees who had to be removed from the vessel suffered only minor burns, with the majority of the crew escaping without injuries. The remaining sailors, while exposed to dangerous conditions, did not report significant trauma. The Russian maritime authorities, alongside South Korean responders, emphasized ongoing efforts to determine the fate of the missing crew members as light was shed on the ship’s condition after the fire was brought under control. The cooperation between Russian and Korean authorities reflects standard practice in maritime emergencies where cross-border assistance is essential to saving lives and mitigating environmental risk. (DEA News)