UPDATE - Istanbul Strait maritime traffic returns to normal after it was suspended

UPDATES WITH STRAIT RETURNING TO NORMAL

By Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) - Maritime traffic through the Istanbul Strait returned to normal Saturday after a container ship malfunctioned.

The Turkish-flagged container ship, Kappa, a 147-meter (482-foot) container ship that experienced machine failure earlier in the day, was safely anchored in the Ahirkapi anchorage area by rescue vessels.

Maritime traffic through the Istanbul Strait, one of Türkiye's two main waterways, was suspended after the Kappa, sailing from Istanbul to the Russian city of Novorossiysk malfunctioned, Türkiye’s Directorate General of Coastal Safety said on Twitter.

Rescue vessels were dispatched to help the vessel after traffic was halted.

The strait was reopened to traffic at 2.50 a.m. local time (2350GMT) following rescue efforts.

The Istanbul Strait is one of the busiest points in Türkiye for maritime traffic.

Malfunctioning vessels occasionally block the passage of vessels traveling to and from the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea via the Sea of Marmara.