Russia cargo ship sinks in Mediterranean after blast

Two crew members are missing after a Russian cargo ship sank in international waters in the Mediterranean after an explosion on board, Russia's foreign ministry said on Telegram on Tuesday.

The Ursa Major sank "after an explosion in the engine room," the ministry's crisis unit said.

The ministry said that out of the 16 Russian crew members, 14 had been rescued and taken to the Spanish port of Cartagena and two were missing.

The ship's owner Oboronlogistika, which belongs to the defence ministry and also provides civilian transport and logistics, said the Ursa Major was carrying harbour cranes and hatch covers for icebreakers.

The Ursa Major is listed on MarineTraffic.com as a 124.7-metre (409-foot) long general cargo ship that was sailing from the Russian city of Saint Petersburg to Vladivostok in Russia's Far East.