Two people are confirmed dead while several others suffered injuries after a cargo ship undergoing repairs in the Turkish municipality of Tuzla suddenly and unexpectedly tilted and ended up on its side on Thursday, October 9.
The incident involving the Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged Ro-Ro vessel Elmes occurred at around 14:30 local time on Thursday while the ship was at Yildiz Shipyard in Tuzla just outside Istanbul for repairs and maintenance.
Several shipyard workers who were on the vessel at the time fell overboard as it tilted with all of them ending up in the water.
Local media said some of the ship's hatch covers had also broken loose and fell into the water onto the workers.
Search and rescue teams pulled several people out of the water. These included the two fatalities, who have been identified as Ukrainian nationals working at the yard.
Local prosecutors have begun an investigation into the ship's sudden tilting, the cause of which is still unknown.
