Turkey's busy Bosporus Strait closed down after cargo ship CRASHES into shore (VIDEOS)
One of the world's busiest waterways has been closed to traffic after a container ship lost control and collided with the shore near a historic landmark in Turkey's Istanbul.
The Liberian-flagged container ship Songa Iridium ran aground in broad daylight some 25 minutes after it entered the Bosporus Strait, reported Hurriyet, citing local authorities. The ship crashed into a bollard next to Asiyan Asri Cemetery and the historic Rumeli Castle, a popular landmark.
Videos from the scene show the vessel slowly moving towards the shore before colliding with it.
Liberia-flagged cargo vessel ran aground as it was passing through Istanbul's #Bosphorus Friday. According to initial reports, the #SongaIridium ran aground near the #Rumeli Hisar neighborhood after an onboard malfunction. No injuries or casualties were reported. pic.twitter.com/47douJPSVc
— ANews (@anewscomtr) December 27, 2019
Rescue boats were dispatched, along with the Coast Guard and Marine Police. Three ships that were traversing the strait after Songa Iridium made it through safely, after which all traffic down the waterway was suspended.
İstanbul Boğazı'nda gemi kazası... Sarıyer Aşiyan'da karaya oturan 'Songa İridium' adlı kargo gemisi kıyıya çarptı https://t.co/KcgzQ1aAHPpic.twitter.com/ZHjJMtHRjm
— Hurriyet.com.tr (@Hurriyet) December 27, 2019
According to ship tracking website MarineTraffic.com, the crashed vessel has a gross tonnage of 23.633 tons and a length of 191 meters (626,64 ft). It was travelling from the Ukrainian port city of Odessa to Istanbul's Ambarli port.
Turkish authorities said the ship has a crew of 19, and that nobody was harmed during the incident. It has also been stated that the ship reported engine failure shortly before the collision.
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