A fire on the Ivan Vikulov dry cargo ship has been extinguished, however smoldering may still continue below decks, the Emergency Situations Ministry's Department in Crimea told Interfax-Ukraine.
The Ivan Vikulov is currently at anchor in the Sea of Azov 50 kilometers east of the village of Strelkovoye on the Arabat Spit. The ship owner will decide on the fate of the vessel.
As reported, an Mi-8 helicopter evacuated ten people from the Ivan Vikulov, which caught fire in the Sea of Azov on Sunday. An emergency crew of four people, including the captain, remained on board and were taken later on Sunday by an ice breaker heading to Port Kavkaz on the Kerch Strait in Krasnodar Krai, Russia.
The Ivan Vikulov operating under the Maltese flag and heading from Algeria to Rostov-on-Don has been blocked by ice since January 28.
Rescue services received a report about the fire on board the Ivan Vikulov at 0650 local time on Sunday.
Preliminary reports say that the fire was caused by an explosion.
