Beirut blast – Owner of cargo ship located in Cyprus

He is Russian businessman Igor Grechushkin

Russian businessman Igor Grechushkin, the owner of the Rhosus ship with the deadly ammonium nitrate cargo in Beirut which killed hundreds and injured thousands, was located by the Cypriot police authorities in Limassol on Thursday afternoon.

The Russian father of one, currently reported to be living in Limassol, Cyprus, was accused by the crew of his ship in abandoning both the people and the cargo.

The ship called Rhosus was going under the flag of Moldova from Batumi in Georgia to Mozambique. It was detained in October 2013 by Lebanese authorities after it stopped in Beirut due to a malfunction on board.

The cargo was checked and detained after the port authorities said it was ‘lacking documents and conditions necessary for transportation.’

The crew – eight Ukrainian and two Russian men – was forced to stay on board of the vessel while the owner Grechushkin declared himself bankrupt and ‘abandoned the ship’.

Lebanese authorities agreed to let six out of ten sailors to leave the country, others were left stranded on the ship for almost a year.

Igor Grechushkin is reported to be still residing in Cyprus with his wife.

Their 20 years son Artyom studies computer science in Scotland, it is understood.

There were no comments so far from Igor Grechushkin or members of his family.