A Russian sailor died and two crew members were being treated after a suspected toxic leak from the cold tank of the Panama-flagged tanker Swanlake several miles off Istanbul. Authorities were alerted around 5:30 p.m.; all 10 crew are being evacuated and the two injured are under observation. The death came the same day local reports suggested a forensic probe found four holidaymakers likely exposed to chemicals in Ortakoy, where 11 people have been detained and investigators collected multiple samples.
Russian Sailor Dies After Suspected Toxic Leak on Tanker Near Istanbul
A Russian sailor died and two crew members were being treated after a suspected toxic leak from the cold tank of the Panama-flagged tanker Swanlake several miles off Istanbul. Authorities were alerted around 5:30 p.m.; all 10 crew are being evacuated and the two injured are under observation. The death came the same day local reports suggested a forensic probe found four holidaymakers likely exposed to chemicals in Ortakoy, where 11 people have been detained and investigators collected multiple samples.
03:58 AM, 11/21/2025Society
A Russian sailor has died and two other crew members are receiving treatment after a suspected toxic leak inside the Panama-flagged tanker Swanlake, authorities said. The incident occurred several miles off Istanbul's Asian shore on Wednesday evening.
Officials said emergency services were alerted at about 5:30 p.m. when the vessel was located a few miles from the city's coastline. The governor's office issued a statement saying the leak is believed to have originated in the vessel's cold tank, a heavily insulated refrigerated storage compartment. It was not disclosed what cargo the tanker was carrying.
"The incident is believed to have been caused by a leak in the vessel's cold tank. One crew member died and two others were poisoned and are under observation," the statement said.
Rescue teams were working to evacuate all 10 crew members and to transfer the two injured sailors to shore for further medical care. Authorities have not released the names of the crew or further medical details pending notification of relatives and medical assessments.
Related local chemical exposure probe
The sailor's death coincided with local reports that a forensic analysis into the deaths of four members of a Turkish-German family who fell ill in Istanbul indicated likely chemical exposure. The family fell sick last week while on holiday in the Ortakoy neighborhood after eating street food, prompting prosecutors to open an investigation that initially focused on suspected food poisoning.
Local media reported that pest-control chemicals had been sprayed in a ground-floor room of the hotel to treat a bedbug infestation and that fumes may have travelled through a bathroom vent to the family's first-floor room. Police reportedly collected samples from sheets, pillows, water bottles and blankets and sealed the building as part of the probe. Authorities say 11 people have been detained in connection with that investigation.
Both incidents are under investigation by Turkish authorities. Officials have urged caution and said they will release more information as investigations and medical examinations proceed.