The Government of Sakhalin informed that the Russian ferry ‘Igor Farkhutdinov’ was trapped by ice near the coast of Japan, with 127 passengers and 42 containers on board.
Igor Farkhutdinov was heading to the Sakhalin port of Korsakov on February 5, from Malokurilskoye. As it was leaving the Kunashirsky Strait on the traverse of the Japanese city of Mombetsu, the ship met dense ice up to 1.5 meters thick.
There are no threats to the survivability of the ship, as Igor Farkhutdinov is an ice class vessel with an experienced captain General Director of the maritime company Sakhalin – Kuriles, Sergey Kondrashin noted, adding that he expects the conditions to improve soon, in order for the ship to continue its journey.
“Passengers are provided with everything necessary. On board, there is enough food and water. And enough fuel for at least a week,” Mr. Kondrashin said.
In case the conditions worsen, an icebreaker from Vladivostok will be used to set Igor Farkhutdinov free from the ice, the government said.