ISTANBUL/CANAKKALE (A.A) - 13.4.2002 - Besiktas Maritime Corp. stated that Salih Kalkavan Ship that it owned collided with Cambodian flagged ship because the Cambodian ship was sailing on a wrong route, made dangerous turns and ignored the warnings.
Besiktas Maritime Corp. made a written statement on Saturday and said that Salih Kalkavan Ship which weighs 18,829 gross tons collided with Cambodian Noor Alamal ship weighing 4,791 gross tons at 9.05 p.m. at Zincirbozan area of Canakkale Strait at 09.05 p.m.
''After a short while, we observed that the Cambodian whip was sailing on a wrong route and was making dangerous turns. It ignored all the warnings and it continued its unsafe turns. Due to the norrow passages of the strait, although we changed direction to avoid a collision, the accident happened,'' the company said.
CAMBODIAN SHIP SINKS AFTER ACCIDENT AT CANAKKALE STRAIT
Seventeen crew members of the Combodian ship Noor Al Amar were rescued by Ali Balci, captain of a boat, Pilot 65, who was taking a guide captain to another ship during the time of the incident.
The Cambodian ship which was about to sink started firing fire works to ask for help. Ali Balci and his assistant Mustafa Azakli who were passing by the strait, steered towards the ship and rescued all the crew members who were Syrian citizens in the sinking ship.
After Balci transferred the crew members on his boat, the Cambodian ship sank completely.
The sailors on the Cambodian ship were first taken to the hospital and later they were placed at a hotel.
FUEL LEAKING FROM SUNKEN CAMBODIAN SHIP AT CANAKKALE STRAIT
The investigation is continuing after the collusion of a Turkish tanker and a Cambodian ship offshores of Gelibolu on Friday night.
The captain of the Turkish tanker Salih Kalkavan and six crew members who were on duty at the time of the accident are being interrogated.
In the meantime, a fuel leak was observed from the Cambodian ship Noor Alamal which sank after suffering serious damage during the collision. Officials stated that they would take the necessary measures in order to prevent environmental pollution caused by the fuel leak.