Classification
- Incident Type: Allision
- Severity: Medium
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Vitaspirit |
| Vessel Type | Bulk Carrier |
| Flag State | Malta [MT] |
| IMO Number | |
| Gross Tonnage | |
| LOA (m) | 225 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2018-04-07 |
| Location | Bosphorus Strait near the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, Istanbul |
| Coordinates | 41.1125, 29.0718 |
| Region | Mediterranean Sea |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | 0 |
| Direct Damage | The Hekimbasi Salih Efendi Mansion and nearby shoreline suffered extensive damage. |
| Economic Damage |
Key facts
- Vitaspirit was transiting the Bosphorus on 7 April 2018 when its steering equipment reportedly became locked.
- The vessel struck the Hekimbasi Salih Efendi Mansion near the Second Bosphorus Bridge, also known as the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge.
- The Istanbul governorate placed the impact at about 15:30 local time.
- Towboats and coastguard vessels responded, and Vitaspirit was pulled clear and brought to shore.
- The available accounts report no casualties and describe extensive damage to the mansion and adjacent shore.
Narrative
On 7 April 2018, Vitaspirit was transiting Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait when its steering equipment reportedly became locked. The Malta-flagged bulk carrier struck the Hekimbasi Salih Efendi Mansion near the Second Bosphorus Bridge, on the Asian side of Istanbul. The Istanbul governorate said the impact occurred at about 15:30 local time after the vessel had been anchored to stop.
Towboats and coastguard vessels were sent to the scene. The vessel was pulled back from the crash site and brought to shore. Images and reporting described extensive damage to the historic waterfront property: the roof and upper floors collapsed, and the basement was shown slumping into the water. The available accounts report no casualties and no environmental threat.
Port Technology identified Vitaspirit as a 225-metre Malta-flagged bulk carrier built in 2001. The linked UAB report is the primary investigation source for the incident, but the reviewed source record does not provide its technical findings. The final cause, vessel damage, and economic loss therefore remain unresolved here.
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status |
|---|---|
| Steering equipment became locked | Reported by the available accounts; not treated here as a final causal determination. |
Investigation
The Turkish UAB / Malta MSIU investigation report dated 30 October 2019 is linked as the primary report. The source record confirms the report's existence but does not state its final technical findings or damage assessment.
References
- UAB Vitaspirit investigation report
- Al Jazeera report on the Bosphorus allision
- Port Technology report on Vitaspirit
- Vitaspirit source record