A tragedy occurred at the Tuzla shipyards on Thursday afternoon, when the Ro-Ro type cargo ship ELMES suddenly took on a severe list causing panic and the death of two workers at the Yıldız Shipyard in Istanbul.
A tragic accident occurred on Thursday afternoon at the Tuzla shipyards in Istanbul.
The Ro-Ro type cargo ship ELMES, which was at the Yıldız Shipyard for repair work, suddenly took on a severe list to the port side while it was docked at the shipyard.
The incident happened at around 14:30 local time. According to testimonies, the ship suddenly listed to one side, causing one of the heavy hatch covers to slide off the deck, fall into the dock, and hit workers who were below.
As we can see in the video, some of the shipyard workers fell into the sea amidst the panic that ensued.
According to Turkish media, two workers lost their lives, while several others were injured. Firefighters, medical personnel, the coast guard, and the police rushed to the scene immediately.
The ELMES, flagged to St. Kitts and Nevis, is 101.29 meters long and 18.9 meters wide. Although the ship did not fully capsize, the severe list caused significant damage and major disruption at the shipyard. The authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact causes of the accident.
The atmosphere at the shipyard remains heavy, with the workers shocked by the accident. Initial indications suggest there may have been a loss of stability due to improper weight distribution or errors during the maintenance work, though there is no official confirmation yet.
Anyone who has been in a shipyard knows how dangerous that environment is. Attention, experience, and proper planning of every move are required to prevent an accident that can have tragic consequences, like this one.
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