Collision in the Dardanelles

摘要

While in the Dardanelles Strait in the early hours of 27 June, Celestyal Crystal (1980/25,611gt), bound from Mykonos to Istanbul, was in collision with the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker STI Pimlico, suffering severe damage to her bow. The 850 passengers were evacuated to Gallipoli, and eventually the damaged Celestyal Crystal sailed to Perama, arriving on 3 July, for repairs. The tanker was damaged amidships, with one cargo tank containing naphtha leaking 1,500 tonnes into the sea. At the time of the collision, STI Pimlico was bound for Malta, having loaded at the Russian port of Tuapse. Celestyal Crystal's following two cruises were cancelled, but the ship was back in service by mid-July. She was built as the ferry Viking Saga in 1980, but her current profile dates from a major rebuild in 1994.