TRIPOLI, March 4 (Xinhua) -- A Russian liquefied gas tanker sank Tuesday evening in international waters about 130 nautical miles north of the Libyan north-central city of Sirte, following a series of explosions and a huge fire, Libya's Ports and Maritime Transport Authority announced on Wednesday.

The 277-meter-long tanker, named "Arctic Metagas," was carrying an estimated 62,000 metric tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) when it went down in waters between Libya and Malta, according to a navigational circular reported by the Libyan News Agency (LNA).

The authority confirmed that the wreckage lies within Libya's search and rescue responsibility zone. Upon receiving the alert, Libyan authorities immediately coordinated with their Maltese counterparts and rescued all 30 crew members on board, with no serious injuries reported.

The cause of the explosions that preceded the fire remains unknown.

In mid-December last year, another Russian tanker was reportedly targeted by drones off Libya's coast. Ukraine later claimed responsibility for the strike, describing the vessel as part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet." ■