Considered one of the most dangerous waterways in the world
Posted on 02/13/2004 7:25:16 PM PST by mylife
22 sailors missing as two ships sink off Turkey
Istanbul, February 13
Twenty-two sailors were missing on Friday after two ships sank off Turkey in heavy snow and gale force winds, which forced the closure of the Bosphorus Strait, a maritime safety official said.
Rescuers trawling the stormy waters of the Black Sea had so far found no trace of the 21-strong crew of a Cambodian-freighter which sank earlier on Friday off the northern entrance to the Bosphorus Strait, the official said.
"We have been searching for a few hours but we have found nothing so far," he said.
Two rescue ships and a tugboat were at the spot where the coal-laden Hera "has completely disappeared under water," he added.
The ship was among dozens of vessels forced to wait off the entrance to the narrow waterway bisecting Turkey's biggest city Istanbul after authorities closed it to traffic on Thursday because of high winds and poor visibility.
One other sailor was missing following the sinking of a second freighter, the Mare, registered in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent, which collided with another ship late Thursday in the Aegean, near the southern entrance to the Dardanelles Strait, officials said.
The nationalities of the missing sailors were not immediately known.
Meanwhile, Anatolia news agency reported that two more ships, registered in Russia and North Korea, had run aground near the entrance to the Bosphorus.
Considered one of the most dangerous waterways in the world
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