On Friday, two merchant ships were reportedly involved in a collision in the waters off the Greek island of Chios. No fatalities or serious injuries are known to have occurred.
One of the ships which sustained damage in the collision refused the help of the Greek Coast Guard despite being in a designated Greek search and rescue area. The vessel, which is crewed by ten Turkish sailors among other nationalities, instead opted to head towards Turkey.
Several sea vessels and aerial vehicles scrambled to the scene once the incident was reported. According to the Greek Coast Guard, the incident occurred at noon.
Collision of two cargo ships near Chios
The Singapore-flagged ship named Potentia, carrying 19 foreign crew members and traveling from Izmir to France, collided with the stern section of the Vanuatu-flagged ship called ANT near the Greek island of Chios. The ANT ship had 13 foreign crew members, including 10 Turkish nationals, and had departed from Alexandria, Egypt, heading to Ukraine.
The ANT ship’s hull suffered significant damage in the middle section due to the collision, but there were no immediate reports of danger on its deck. The damage to the starboard side of the ship resulting from the collision was clearly visible in videos and images which were later shared on the internet.
“No injuries were reported from the incident and no marine pollution was observed,” said the Greek Coast Guard in an online update.
Emergency response
A Greek rescuer, who arrived on the ANT ship’s deck via helicopter, clearly informed the ship’s master that they were within a Greek search and rescue area. The rescuer advised the ship’s master to request assistance from Greek authorities if needed.
The Ministry of Shipping’s operations chamber also conveyed the same message to the captain of the ANT ship. However, the ANT master declined any assistance and, accompanied by a Turkish Coast Guard vessel, is currently en route to the Turkish coast to find aid.
At the time of the incident, a large number of sea vessels and aerial vehicles responded to the collision. The Greek Coast Guard recorded the presence of seven patrol vessels, one offshore vessel, a Navy vessel, a Canadair CL-215 aircraft of the Air Force, three SUPER PUMA helicopters of the Air Force, as well as other ships within the vicinity of the incident.
The weather conditions remained calm during the incident, which facilitated a safe and efficient rescue effort.
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