Report: 10 Stevedores Poisoned During Cargo Ops at Port of Nevelsk

10 people aboard a Turkish-owned bulker sustained poisoning from possible toxic fumes aboard the ship during loading, according to Russian media and investigating authorities at the Russian port of Nevelsk. 

The Sakhalin regional department of the Russian Federation Investigative Committee reported Wednesday that it is looking into a potential a violation of labor protection requirements for employees of Nevelsk Commercial Sea Port. 

The investigators said that on Monday, four workers at Nevelsk Commercial Sea Port LLC contacted the Nevelsk Central District Hospital, and they reported that they felt unwell during the loading of coal onto the bulker Bordo Mavi. The hospital's doctors gave them a preliminary diagnosis of "poisoning with an unknown substance." Six additional personnel suffered lesser symptoms and did not require hospitalization; the crew was not reportedly affected, according to state-owned Rossiyskaya Gazeta, despite reports to the contrary in non-Russian media. 

"These are local residents, dock workers, employees of a local coastal enterprise. It is not yet clear what poisoned them," the port administration told Interfax .

The criminal labor code investigation will examine the actions of both the employees and the stevedoring company's management. 

As of Monday evening, the Bordo Mavi was still anchored off the coast of Nevelsk, according to AIS data.