Ship traffic suspended in Istanbul Strait after tanker suffers engine failure

Ship traffic in Istanbul Strait was suspended Sunday after a Malta-flagged chemical tanker suffered an engine failure while sailing toward Italy, Türkiye's General Directorate of Coastal Safety said.

The 110-meter-long Ivyan, carrying 6,000 tons of vegetable oil, was sailing from Bulgaria to Italy when it experienced an engine malfunction while transiting the strait, the directorate said in a statement.

The vessel subsequently anchored off Kanlıca, according to the statement.

Following the incident, the Coast Guard and the General Directorate of Coastal Safety dispatched the Kurtarma 7 and Kurtarma 11 tugboats, along with the Tahlisiye 9 rescue boat, to the area.

Ship traffic through the Istanbul Strait was suspended because of the tanker's malfunction, authorities said.

The tanker will be secured at the Küçükçekmece anchorage area, according to authorities.

Meanwhile, footage recorded by residents on mobile phones showed the tanker coming to a stop at the last moment after appearing to approach the shore.