Cargo ship ran aground in Istanbul Strait rescued

By Muhammed Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) – The cargo ship that ran aground in the Istanbul Strait was rescued on Tuesday after intense work, Türkiye’s Coastal Safety Directorate General announced.

The directorate said in a statement on X that the ship was rescued after continuous and hectic work by tugboats, coast guard and maritime police teams.

The stranded cargo ship was rescued at 4 p.m. (1300GMT), and ship traffic in the Istanbul Strait resumed as usual.

The vessel was rescued with the coordination of Istanbul's vessel traffic services center, which anchored it at Ahirkapi Pier, the statement said.

Earlier, an official statement announced that the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure had dispatched multiple tugboats and skilled divers to assist with rescue efforts.

It said maritime traffic in the strait was temporarily suspended in both directions due to the ship’s grounding.

The 229-meter-long ALEXIS ran aground near Haydarpasa Pier after experiencing engine failure on its trip from Ukraine to Egypt.