There were no casualties reported in the crash, but it caused panic
A ferry running between İstanbul's Yenikapı port and Güzelyalı, Bursa, collided with a ro-ro ship in the Sea of Marmara on Monday, narrowly avoiding capsizing.
The Osmangazi ferry, which was carrying 830 passengers and 150 vehicles, collided with the ro-ro ship off Sivriada early on Monday. There were no casualties reported in the crash, but it caused panic among the passengers.
The ferry returned to Yenikapı after the crash, where the passengers were evacuated from the ferry. There was massive damage on the ship's bow. Officials say they will release a statement on the cause of the accident.
The passengers aboard the ferry during the incident told reporters that they were able to survive thanks to the alertness and experience of the ferry's captain.
One of the passengers told reporters that a ship was coming towards them and that the captain of the ferry was able to reduce the impact of the collision through skillful maneuvering. They added that if the captain hadn't changed course, the officials would be collecting their dead bodies from the sea now.
Another passenger said that the ferry had departed from Güzelyalı at 7:30 a.m. and that at 8:40 a.m. they saw a ship coming towards them. The captains of the two ships realized a collision was inevitable, so both of them changed course. The passengers remained seated. The ro-ro ship hit the upper-left side of the ferry's hull, the passenger noted.
Source: Today's Zaman
