Maritime traffic on Bosporus comes to halt due to stuck cargo ship
The MKK-1 cargo ship awaits rescue in the Bosporus, Istanbul, Türkiye, Jan. 16, 2023. (DHA Photo)


Maritime traffic on Istanbul's Bosporus was suspended due to a stranded cargo ship that was traveling to Istanbul from Ukraine.

A statement released by the General Directorate of Coastal Safety said, "A 142-meter-long bulk carrier named MKK-1 ran aground in Umuryeri while sailing from Ukraine to Istanbul. Our specialist rescue ships, the Nene Hatun ship, the Rescue 5, 8 and 9 tug boats, along with a KEGM-8 boat were promptly dispatched to the scene."

It was noted that rescue work for MKK-1 was underway and that the ship ran aground in front of Beykoz Anadolu Kavağı due to a rudder failure at around 7:30 a.m. local time.

No loss of life, injury or environmental pollution was reported in the incident.

Istanbul strait port traffic was temporarily suspended in both directions and rescue efforts took about four hours and towed the ship to get it moving.