On October 22, 2002, at approximately 10:30 AM, the ferry “Merkuri-2”, belonging to the Caspian Shipping Company and sailing from the Kazakh port of Aktau toward Baku, met with a tragic accident and sank 130 kilometers off the coast of Baku. Out of the 51 individuals on board the ferry, only 9 were rescued. The bodies of four victims were recovered.
Sea-news.az reports that crew members of the vessels belonging to the “Caspian Sea Oil Fleet” department of Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company CJSC, who were on watch duty near the “Dede Gorgud” floating drilling rig close to the route and crash site, heard calls from an unknown vessel on the 16th international distress channel around 10:00 AM on October 22, 2002, stating: “Help us, the ship is sinking”, “Merkuri-2”. Having identified the vessel’s position on radar approximately 6 miles away, they immediately set course toward the ferry. At 10:30 AM, they observed black smoke over the sea, followed by flames at 10:32 AM. By 11:14 AM, the ferry disappeared from the radar screens, and the smoke dissipated. Due to severe weather conditions, the rescue ships reached within 1 mile of the sinking site only at 12:35 PM, where they spotted floating tank cars, rescuing four surviving crew members and retrieving one body. Following the arrival of helicopters from the Azerbaijan Airlines State Concern, 5 additional survivors were safely rescued.
On behalf of the Chairman and staff of the “SUPPORT TO AZERBAIJANI SEAFARERS” Public Union, we pray for God’s mercy upon our seafarers who tragically lost their lives and wish patience to their bereaved families. According to religious traditions, anyone who drowns while striving to earn an honest living for their family is regarded as a Martyr.
Pursuant to Decree No. 806 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated October 26, 2002, a national day of mourning was declared across the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan on October 28 to honor the memory of those who perished in the tragic sinking of the “Merkuri-2” ferry owned by Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company CJSC.
