Video: Container Ship Runs Aground Near Istanbul Mansions, Halts Bosphorus Traffic

A Turkish-flagged container ship was refloated after running aground just meters from waterfront mansions along the Bosphorus in Istanbul, briefly disrupting traffic through one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints.

The 148-meter vessel KAPPA ran aground off Yeniköy in Istanbul’s Sarıyer district around midnight while sailing from Russia to Kocaeli, with a pilot on board, according to Turkish authorities.

Initial reports said the vessel suffered a steering or rudder failure while entering the Istanbul Strait, causing it to drift toward shore before stopping only a few meters from the historic waterfront mansions, known locally as yalis.

Following the grounding, authorities suspended Bosphorus vessel traffic in both directions as a safety measure while emergency teams responded.

Türkiye’s Directorate General of Coastal Safety dispatched the tugboats KURTARMA-5, KURTARMA-6 and KURTARMA-8, along with a diver team and the KEGM-5 fast rescue boat, to stabilise the ship and assess possible damage.

Divers carried out inspections for about six hours before salvage teams began refloating operations under the coordination of Istanbul Vessel Traffic Services.

Authorities said the vessel was successfully pulled free with the assistance of the three tugboats and would be moved out of the Bosphorus to a safe anchorage.

KAPPA isimli gemi, İstanbul Gemi Trafik Hizmetleri Merkezimizin koordinasyonunda, Kılavuz Kaptanımız, KURTARMA-6 ve KURTARMA-8 Römorkörlerimiz ile KEGM-5 hızlı tahlisiye botumuz refakatinde Küçükçekmece Demir Sahası’na emniyetle demirletildi. pic.twitter.com/2TDQ9RJ6hX

— KEGM (@kiyiemniyet) April 28, 2026

In a statement, the coastal safety authority said the vessel was refloated after inspections by diving and rescue teams.

Aerial footage from the scene showed the container ship close to the shoreline as tugboats worked around the grounded vessel.

Maritime traffic through the Bosphorus, suspended during the nighttime response, was later reopened at 7:50 a.m. after the rescue operation concluded.

Per reports, the ship had been loaded with containers and was bound for İzmit when the incident occurred.

Authorities did not report pollution, cargo damage or injuries linked to the incident.

The vessel had reportedly faced another disruption in the strait in 2022, when a machinery failure off Kandilli temporarily affected Bosphorus traffic.

The Bosphorus is one of the world’s most congested waterways, handling heavy flows of commercial shipping between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, and even short disruptions can affect regional vessel movements.

References: Turkiyetoday, hurriyetdailynews