Ship Crashes into Mansion in the Strait of Istanbul
By Aiswarya Lakshmi
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Majed and Randy, Sierra Leone-registered dry cargo ship collided into a Ethem Pertev's water-front mansion located on the Bosporus in Istanbul's Kanlıca neighborhood. Luckily no one was injured in the incident.
The accident happened due to a malfunction in the steering mechanism of the 106-meter-long ship. After the incident, the ship dropped anchor under the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and then was towed to Büyükdere.
While there is material damage to both the ship and the mansion, the Center for Vessel Traffic Services in İstanbul reported that there was no loss of life or environmental pollution.
Accidents featuring ships hitting waterfront mansions do seldom occur in the Bosphorus strait, which is a hotspot of international maritime traffic on route between the black sea to the Mediterranean.
The 1980-built ship of 6,476 tons was heading from Istanbul to Beirut when the incident occurred.
The mansion, built in 1860, is considered one of the most beautiful examples of Istanbul's famous waterfront mansions.