Freighter Aground In Dardanelles

At 1:30 AM Friday, the general cargo ship Schillig ran aground at Cape Dalyan, near the town of Kepez in the Dardanelles, reported Turkish maritime authorities.

The 3,000 dwt Schillig is flagged in Gibraltar, owned by German company Briese Schiffahrt, and managed by Netherlands operator Briese Shipping.

She was built by a Vietnamese yard in 2012, and her DNV class notation indicates that she was strengthened for heavy cargo.

The Schillig departed Constanta, Romania on November 4, and was en route to Casablanca, Morocco at the time of the accident.

The grounding was apparently due to loss of steering. Authorities report that the Schillig crossed the opposing traffic lane and did not respond to radio calls regarding her intentions.

A patrol ship and a tug were dispatched to assist the vessel. No personal or environmental damage were reported by Turkish authorities and media reports indicate that there was no significant hull damage.

As of 2100 hours local time on November 6, the vessel remained in the position previously reported. Media reports indicated that she was hard aground on a mud bottom and initial efforts to pull her free by tugboat were not successful.