Due to strormy sea, a cargo ship ran aground in the Black Sea off northeastern Istanbul early on Wednesday, December 19. After the rescue operation, which lasted several hours, all crew members were safe and no casualties were reported.
According to local reports, on December 19, at around 4:30 a.m. local time (01:30GMT), a Comoro Islands-flagged cargo ship with a crew of 16, named ‘Natalia’, dropped anchor as she confronted mechanical problems two miles off Karaburun, a Black Sea peninsula in Sile, on the outskirts of Istanbul.
After fixing an apparent mechanical problem, the vessel, which was sailing from Russia with destination the strait of Istanbul, started moving again, but soon ran aground off Karaburun at about 9:00 a.m. (06:00GMT) due to rough sea and extreme weather conditions.
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Turkish coastal emergency teams rescued all 16 crew members while divers and ambulances were on standby throughout the rescue operation.
Due to high winds, a helicopter was not available, therefore, the rescue operation took place with the assistance of a winch system extended from the shore which brought the crew members to safety one-by-one.
