According to Istanbul port authorities, the Liberian-flagged container ship Songa Iridium ran aground in broad daylight some 25 minutes after it entered the Bosporus Strait. The container ship lost control andcrashed into a bollard next to Asiyan Asri Cemetery and the historic Rumeli Castle, Istanbul‘s popular landmark.
Videos from the scene show the vessel slowly moving towards the shore before colliding with it.
Rescue boats were dispatched, along with the Coast Guard and Marine Police. Three ships that were traversing the Bosporus Strait after Songa Iridium made it through safely, after which all traffic down the waterway was suspended.
According to ship tracking website, 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.
