Cargo ship fire in Dardanelles Strait halts maritime traffic

ISTANBUL, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A dry cargo vessel caught fire in the Dardanelles Strait in Türkiye's northwestern province of Canakkale on Thursday, prompting authorities to suspend maritime traffic in the vital waterway.

The Directorate General of Coastal Safety reported via a social media platform that the blaze originated in the engine room of the 107-meter-long ship, which was en route from Egypt to Bulgaria. Rescue operations were swiftly initiated, with several boats dispatched to the scene.

As a precaution, the traffic of the Dardanelles Strait was temporarily halted in both directions. Following the emergency response, the Directorate General provided an update stating that the fire on the vessel, named Ak Discovery, had been successfully extinguished. Cooling efforts for the ship are currently underway.

The Dardanelles Strait, measuring 61 km in length and a minimum width of 1.2 km, is a strategic waterway connecting the Marmara and Aegean seas, playing a significant role in international maritime navigation. ■