UPDATE - Vessel towed away after it runs aground in Istanbul Strait

Maritime traffic still suspended after Palau-flagged dry cargo ship rescued following 4-hour work

UPDATES WITH RESCUE OF VESSEL; CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE

By Muhammed Gencebay Gur, Alptekin Soykan and Irem Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) – A cargo ship was towed away after it ran aground in the Istanbul Strait on Monday.

According to the General Directorate of Coastal Safety, rescue vessels were immediately dispatched to assist the 142-meter-long cargo ship, MKK-1. The movement of vessels in the strait was suspended.

The office of Istanbul governor said the Palau-flagged dry cargo ship, which was sailing from Ukraine to Istanbul, ran aground very close to shore in the Beykoz district at around 7.30 a.m. local time (0430GMT) due to a rudder failure.

After almost four hours of work, teams rescued the stranded ship and it anchored in a safe zone.

Maritime traffic in Istanbul Strait is yet to resume.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan

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