Turkish owned tanker hit by explosions off Senegal

ISTANBUL

A Turkish-owned oil tanker, the Mersin, was damaged near Senegal’s coast last week by four external explosions, but all crew members are safe and no pollution occurred, its operator confirmed Monday.

The vessel was anchored near Dakar when the blasts struck at 23:45 GMT on Nov. 27, allowing seawater to enter the engine room, Istanbul-based Beşiktaş Shipping said in a statement.

“The situation was quickly brought under control. There are no injuries, no loss of life and no environmental impact,” the company added.

“The vessel remains safe and stable, posing no navigational or safety risk to the surrounding area.”

The incident comes a day before Ukrainian naval drones reportedly targeted two sanctioned tankers in the Black Sea near Türkiye as they sailed to a Russian port to load oil, an official said.

While the Mersin, which sails under the Panamanian flag, has previously transported Russian oil according to Kpler shipping data, there is no evidence linking Ukraine to this event.

Registered owner Beşiktaş Group confirmed the tanker had issued a distress signal, prompting Senegalese authorities to deploy tugboats and specialized teams to prevent a potential oil spill. Beşiktaş Shipping said it is cooperating fully with insurers and Senegalese authorities, handling the aftermath, and supporting technical and forensic investigations.