On the morning of 23 December, a small container ship docked at the port of Ambali, Turkey's main container port in Istanbul, lost stability during loading operations and overturned. Port officials are working to contain the damage and clean up the vessel.

The vessel, named Amnah (5,200 dwt), was loading containers at the port when it suddenly tilted towards the quay and eventually overturned.

Turkish officials said there were 15 crew members on board, five of whom jumped into the water and swam to safety. Another 10 were rescued from the boat. One crew member suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital.

The incident reportedly occurred at 4 a.m. local time, and the crew can be seen on deck in a video screenshot.

Built in 1996, Amnah is 101 metres long and 18 metres wide and was formerly operated for the Russian shipping company Fesco, the vessel is registered in the Comoros.

In October 2024, the vessel was transferred to a Belize-based company and operated by Turkish management, the database shows.

Officials believe that the vessel was improperly loaded, causing it to lose stability. They reported that an investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the accident.

Oil booms were tied around the ship to prevent contamination.

[AMBARLI PORT

AMBARLI PORT includes six jetties, Kumport, Akcansa Cement Pier, Mardas, Armaport, Anadolu and Set cement Pier, and Soyak. Among them, Kumport Pier is the preferred calling point for most of the shipping companies.AMBARLI Oil Terminal has a maximum berthing capacity of 250,000 DWT for large tankers. The port has a grain silo with a capacity of 70,000 tonnes, as well as other warehouses and yards.

AMBARLI Port is not only an important gateway to Istanbul, but also a key point for Turkey's trade with the rest of the world. Thanks to its unique geographical location and excellent port facilities, the Port occupies an important position in Turkish and global trade. Ambali Port has established close co-operation with many international famous shipping companies such as MSK, MSC, CMA, EMC, COSCO, OOCL, YML, HMM and so on.