TRIPOLI, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Libya's Ports and Maritime Transport Authority announced on Thursday that an operation to tow a damaged Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker has failed.
In a statement, the authority said the tanker is now "completely adrift and out of control at sea due to severe weather conditions caused by a deep depression, with winds reaching 40 knots and waves up to 5 meters."
The statement added: "We inform all ships, maritime units, and relevant authorities that the towing operation failed at 4:00 a.m. on April 2. The tanker is now out of control, and the tugboat is unable to return and reconnect under these dangerous weather conditions."
The 277-meter-long tanker, named "Arctic Metagas," was carrying an estimated 62,000 metric tonnes of LNG when it went down in waters between Libya and Malta on March 3, according to a navigational circular reported by the Libyan News Agency.
