A passenger ferry collided with a Panama-flagged cargo ship in the Bosphorus Strait on Friday.
The accident, which injured at least 12 people, happened around 8:30 p.m. local time close to Salacak, off the Uskudar district.
It involved the passenger ferry Kamil Sayin, which operates a regular service between Besiktas and Uskudar, and the dry cargo vessel Artvin.
Official reports presented different casualty numbers, with reports from the coast guard and maritime safety teams indicating two passengers suffered injuries. At the same time, the Istanbul Governor’s Office issued a statement saying 12 people were hurt in the collision.
Fortunately, nobody fell into the water during the accident, and the injured were taken to hospitals by ambulance after the ferry was brought to the coast at Pasalimani Dock.
After the collision, both ships were removed from the Bosphorus. The cargo vessel was anchored safely by the Coast Guard Security Teams for further inspection, while an investigation into the cause of the accident has begun.
The Bosphorus connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea and is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, with around 48,000 ships passing through every year.
The narrow strait, which also handles massive ferry traffic between Istanbul’s European and Asian sides, has seen many maritime accidents over the years due to its difficult navigation conditions.
The Coast Guard always remains vigilant to continue their response operations at the scene.
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