A Maltese-flagged bulk carrier crashed into a historic mansion on the shores of Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait on Saturday after its steering gear failed, according to media reports.
Ship traffic in the strait had been suspended in both directions.
Video from other boats in the area showed the ship, identified as the Vitaspirit, crash into the waterfront mansion. The vessel was later pulled back from the crash site.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, but photos and video showed extensive damage to the historic seaside mansion located under the Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge.
The Hekimbasi Salih Efendi Mansion has stood on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait since the 18th century and is used to host weddings and concerts, according to the mansion’s website.
Here’s some video from inside the mansion at the time of the accident:
“?stanbul Bo?az?’nda” tanker gemisi kaza an? pic.twitter.com/O58boyRIpf
— naturelbilgi.com (@naturelbilgicom) April 7, 2018
