Cargo ship from Ukraine grounded in Bosphorus strait, traffic halted

Turkish Navy's rescue ship TCG Isin sails in the Bosphorus as the Palau-flagged bulk carrier MKK1, carrying grain is seen drifted aground in Istanbul (REUTERS)

• The ship was traveling from Pivdennyi to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Mersin

ISTANBUL: The cargo ship MKK 1, traveling from Ukraine to Turkiye, was grounded in Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait on Monday and traffic in the strait was suspended but no damage was reported, shipping agents Tribeca said.
Several tugs were among vessels sent to provide assistance to the ship, the coast guard authority said.
Television footage showed the bow of the ship, carrying 13,000 tons of peas, grounded close to the coastline on the Asian side of the Bosphorus.
The Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, which runs the UN-brokered Black Sea grain deal operations, said at the weekend the ship was traveling from Pivdennyi to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Mersin.
Tribeca said the Palau-flagged general cargo ship was grounded at Acarburnu at the northern end of the strait early on Monday as it headed southbound.
It said no damage or spill was reported.