Ships trapped in frozen Azov Sea
- 12 years ago
Weeks of unusually cold weather in southern Russia have frozen the Azov Sea.
Ships like this one have become trapped.
Normally the Azov Sea doesn't freeze in winter - but now there's up to half a metre of ice on the surface.
Ice-breaker ships have been deployed, but are making slow progress as the ice grows thicker by the day.
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) TUGBOAT ASSISTANT REPLACEMENT TO THE CAPTAIN, IVAN KOVALENKO, SAYING:
"It's like we are almost not moving. Three kilometers an hour, two kilometers an hour."
Russian media has reported that dozens of ships are now stranded at sea with dwindling food and water supplies.
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DEPUTY HEAD SOUTH REGIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE UNIT VLADISLAV ANOSHCHENKO, SAYING:
"Our ship is not the only one that's left in this situation. No one expected there to be such abnormal weather."
Russia's state forecaster has said the country's south would continue to face extreme frosts in the coming days, with temperatures from 12 to 17 degrees Celsius below average.
Travis Brecher, Reuters
Ships like this one have become trapped.
Normally the Azov Sea doesn't freeze in winter - but now there's up to half a metre of ice on the surface.
Ice-breaker ships have been deployed, but are making slow progress as the ice grows thicker by the day.
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) TUGBOAT ASSISTANT REPLACEMENT TO THE CAPTAIN, IVAN KOVALENKO, SAYING:
"It's like we are almost not moving. Three kilometers an hour, two kilometers an hour."
Russian media has reported that dozens of ships are now stranded at sea with dwindling food and water supplies.
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DEPUTY HEAD SOUTH REGIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE UNIT VLADISLAV ANOSHCHENKO, SAYING:
"Our ship is not the only one that's left in this situation. No one expected there to be such abnormal weather."
Russia's state forecaster has said the country's south would continue to face extreme frosts in the coming days, with temperatures from 12 to 17 degrees Celsius below average.
Travis Brecher, Reuters