Turkish cargo ship splits in half during violent Black Sea storm | World News

A 13-strong vessel smashed in half after coming to shore for safety (Picture: Getty)

Up to 20 people are feared dead after violent storms wrecked two large cargo ships off the Turkish coast and flooded towns inland.

The Turkish-flagged Kafkametler sank off the coast of Eregli, northern Turkey, on Sunday, after smashing into a breakwater several times, officials said.

Sea conditions were so dangerous that rescuers could not search for its 12 crew members until Monday morning.

The body of the ship’s cook has been retrieved while the other 11 are missing, according to Turkish transport minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video

ZONGULDAK, TURKIYE - NOVEMBER 20: A view of the stranded cargo ship that drifted due to the storm in Eregli district of Zonguldak, Turkiye on November 20, 2023. The Panama-flagged cargo ship was split in two due to the storm that was effective in the region. (Photo by Omer Urer/Anadolu via Getty Images) — Violent conditions prevented rescuers from heading out to sea for hours (Picture: Anadolu)

Meanwhile, the Cameroon-flagged Pallada ran aground after anchoring at Eregli, northern Turkey, to shelter from the storm.

High winds and 16-foot high waves shoved the vessel into concrete walls, breaking it in half.

Its 13 crew members made it safely to shore beforehand.

A private vessel saved another dozen crew members onboard a second Cameroon-flagged cargo ship which drifted out to sea after its mooring ropes broke.

ZONGULDAK, TURKIYE - NOVEMBER 20: An aerial view of the stranded cargo ship that drifted due to the storm in Eregli district of Zonguldak, Turkiye on November 20, 2023. The Panama-flagged cargo ship was split in two due to the storm that was effective in the region. (Photo by Omer Urer/Anadolu via Getty Images) — The 13 crew members of the vessel made it safely to shore before it broke (Picture: Anadolu)

Flooding caused the deaths of four people in Batman Province, in the country’s southeast, three people in Zongulda, and one person in Diyarbakir, authorities added.

The victims included a mother and her two children, while a third child remains missing.

Meanwhile, rising water levels forced officials to evacuate a prison in Eregli and move inmates into surrounding facilities.

Fierce storms also carried into neighbouring Bulgaria, claiming the lives of another two people and causing blackouts.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.