Cargo ship collides into Istanbul coast, closing the Bosphorus strait

A cargo ship collided into the coast of Istanbul on Friday, forcing Turkish officials to temporarily suspend traffic through the Bosphorus strait.

One video filmed by an eyewitness showed the moment the Liberian-flagged Songa Iridium slowly hit the shoreline near Rumelihisari, an iconic Ottoman fortress on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait.

There were no casualties, the Istanbul governorship said in a statement, adding that there had been no reports of “sea or environmental pollution.”

“Songra Iridium, with 19 crew and a guiding pilot captain, sent out a signal of mechanical failure at 12:00 (4am ET) and hit the shore near the Rumelihisar district at 12:13 (4:13 am ET),” the statement said.

According to the governor’s office, the coast guard, police and search and rescue teams were sent to the area after the collision.

Songa Iridium was heading from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, according to Tribeca Shipping Agency.

Reuters reported that accidents are rare in the Bosphorus strait, which is one of the busiest shipping arteries in the world.