Engine room explosion sinks Russian cargo ship, two crew members missing

Two crew members who were aboard a Russian cargo ship that sank after an explosion in the ship's engine room on Monday are missing, according to Russian authorities. 

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the ship was traveling through the Mediterranean Sea at the time of the explosion, after traversing the Strait of Gibraltar. The explosion took place south of Spain, but it is not clear where the ship's final destination was because of conflicting reports, according to CNN. 

Spain’s maritime rescue agency confirmed the ship had sunk, and urged ships in the area to “keep a sharp lookout," for debris and report any sightings of debris from the ship to the authorities. The agency has not identified the people who are missing, but 14 other crew members were rescued and brought to Spain.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear, but the ship had been carrying empty containers and two port cranes on deck. Spain's maritime rescue service said a Russian warship has since arrived on the scene and has taken over the rescue operations, Reuters reported.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.