Italian authorities have launched a terrorism investigation into explosions that damaged an oil tanker anchored off the northern Italian coast late last week, Reuters reported, citing a statement from the chief prosecutor of the city of Genoa, BTA reports.
This is the latest of four similar incidents in the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas in the past month, the world agency said.
Two explosions opened a hole below the waterline of the Greek-flagged tanker carrying crude oil, which was anchored on Saturday near the port of Vado Ligure - in the municipality of Savona, in the northwestern Italian region of Liguria.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the alleged attack on the cargo ship. "Seajewel", which - like other tankers targeted by explosions - recently docked in a Russian port, Reuters notes.
"We have found the black box, the ship has not been seized", Genoa Chief Prosecutor Nicola Piacente told Reuters in connection with the explosion on Saturday.
The counter-terrorism department of the Genoa prosecutor's office is investigating suspicions of "a shipwreck aggravated by terrorist intentions," Piacente said.
The tanker's contractor, "Tenamaris" from Athens, announced that its vessels' regular services were suspended on February 15.
"The ship's crew and representatives of a third party involved in the commercial operations are unharmed. The incident did not cause any environmental damage," the company "Tenamaris" said, adding that it was cooperating with Italian authorities.
Lawmakers from Italy's opposition "5 Star Movement" said the incident was "of a terrorist nature" and called for a report on the investigation to be presented to parliament once it is complete.
The causes of the previous three explosions on oil tankers in the Mediterranean are not known, Reuters reports. The ships in question were docked at Russian ports, according to GPS data and sources.
Another ship operated by "Tenamaris" - "Seacharm" - suffered damage in a similar incident. Greek authorities are investigating what happened to the vessel in the incident last month, the company said today.
"This ship ("Seacharm" - ed. note) is currently operating normally," said "Tenamaris", quoted by Reuters.
Another damaged tanker, "Koala", was damaged and subsequently anchored in the Russian Baltic port of Ust-Luga.
The Russian cargo ship "Ursa Major" sank in the Mediterranean Sea in late December last year after an explosion in its engine room, and two of its crew were reported missing, as announced by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Reuters recalls.