Ship traffic halted in Istanbul Strait after tanker engine failure

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

The 110-metre-long “Ivyan”, carrying 6,000 tons of vegetable oil, was travelling from Bulgaria when the malfunction occurred, according to the directorate.

The vessel later anchored off Kanlıca. 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.

Authorities said ship traffic through the strait was suspended because of the tanker’s malfunction. The vessel is to be secured at the Küçükçekmece anchorage area.

Mobile-phone footage recorded by residents showed the tanker stopping at the last moment after appearing to approach the shore.