Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu evaluated the intervention process regarding the ship named RAPID, which ran aground off Kocaeli’s Kefken on September 18. Uraloğlu stated that the 81.6-meter-long ship, carrying 2,135 tons of gypsum stone from Bartın to Ukraine’s Chornomorsk Port, deviated from its course due to a storm and waves reaching up to 2.5 meters, saying, “We received the report that the ship ran aground at 05:34 on September 18. Under the coordination of our Main Search and Rescue Coordination Center, we immediately dispatched maritime assets from our General Directorate of Coastal Safety and the Coast Guard Command to the area. We also assigned our Kefken Port Director as the on-site coordinator.”
Stating that they acted quickly for the safety of the crew, Uraloğlu said, “The helicopter from the Coast Guard Command moved to the area at 07:00. At 10:24, all 7 crew members, 6 of whom are Ukrainian and 1 Iranian national, were safely evacuated. We successfully completed the process without any loss of life.”
“We detected severe damage on the ship”
Mentioning the underwater inspections conducted on the ship, Uraloğlu shared the information: “We identified a 4-meter tear on the port side near the bow section, dents and collapses in the areas below the engine room, and severe damage to the rudder and propeller assembly.”
Emphasizing that the ship poses a risk to navigation, life, property, and environmental safety, Uraloğlu said, “Under the coordination of our Kefken Port Authority, the ship was surrounded by a barrier to prevent fuel leakage. Thus, we have taken all necessary measures against potential risks. The ship will be removed from its location at the earliest opportunity by the responsible parties, namely the shipowner and the ship insurer, to swiftly ensure maritime safety.”
Noting that the most critical part of the operation was the fuel evacuation, Minister Uraloğlu recorded the following:
“We began evacuating fuel and oil on September 30. As of October 1, the operation was completed. We safely evacuated a total of 35 cubic meters of fuel from the ship. At no stage of the process was there any leakage into the sea.”
