The Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged general cargo ship BYB OTHELLO ran aground at the northern exit of the Bosphorus after experiencing a mechanical failure. The 13 personnel on board were safely evacuated through an operation conducted by the General Directorate of Coastal Safety teams.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu reported that the 97-meter-long ship experienced the failure while en route from Kocaeli to the Port of Izmail in Ukraine. Stating that the first distress call was received at 02:41, Uraloğlu announced that the KURTARMA-6 and KURTARMA-11 tugboats, along with the BAYRAK-1 boat, were dispatched to the area.
It was noted that the ship ran aground at 03:56 during an incident where intervention from the sea was made difficult by adverse weather conditions. Following the captain's request for evacuation, shore-based rescue teams initiated operations.
Uraloğlu stated that the shore-based rescue teams evacuated the personnel on board by establishing a traditional breeches buoy system. It was reported that the system was set up at 06:12, the first crew member was retrieved at 06:28, and the entire evacuation was completed as of 06:55.
Minister Uraloğlu announced that there were no negative issues regarding the health status of the 13 evacuated personnel. It was also stated that no visible pollution was detected in the sea during initial observations.
News Source: 12punto
