A container ship that ran aground due to a steering failure in the Istanbul Strait was rescued after prolonged efforts, having come to a stop just meters from the waterfront in Sarıyer, Yeniköy.

The vessel named 'Kappa,' which was underway in the Istanbul Strait, experienced a steering malfunction. The out-of-control ship drifted towards the shore in Sarıyer Yeniköy and ran aground just meters from the waterfront.

Upon receiving the notification, police and teams from the General Directorate of Coastal Safety were dispatched to the scene.

It was learned that the ship was loaded with containers and was entering from the Black Sea, heading towards the İzmit district of Kocaeli.

SHIP RESCUED

After extensive efforts, the ship was freed from its position. In a statement from the General Directorate of Coastal Safety, it was noted, 'The KAPPA vessel, which ran aground off Yeniköy, was floated by our divers and rescue teams following their inspection, under the coordination of our Istanbul Vessel Traffic Services Center, with the assistance of our tugboats KURTARMA-5, KURTARMA-6, and KURTARMA-8.'

STRAIT TRAFFIC REOPENED

The strait traffic, which had been suspended during the nighttime rescue operations, has been reopened.

MALFUNCTION IN 2022 AS WELL

It was reported that the ship had also experienced a machinery failure off Kandilli in 2022, which caused a temporary halt to the traffic in the strait.

Source: SeaNews Türkiye