Turkey: Ship hits shore of Bosphorus Strait

By Ammar Nas

ISTANBUL

A ship hit the shore of the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul on Saturday.

The Vitaspirit tanker was stranded under the Second Bosphorus Bridge, near Anatolian Fortress, in Istanbul's Asian part, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent on the field.

Tugboats dispatched to the site towed the ship.

The hit has reportedly damaged the shore and a restaurant.

The Malta-flagged tanker was carrying 62.6 tons of dough from Russia to Saudi Arabia.

A technical problem caused the crash, the Istanbul Governorship said.

The governorate said that the ship was anchored to stop however it hit the shore at 3.30 p.m. local time (1230 GMT).

No casualties were reported, it added.

The tanker is 225 meters (738.1 feet) long and 32 m (104.9 feet) wide.

The Bosphorus Strait has been closed for two-way vessel traffic.