All crew members evacuated after cargo ship runs aground near Sile in Turkey

Video. All crew members evacuated after cargo ship runs aground near Sile in Turkey

Sixteen crew members have been rescued from a cargo ship after heavy winds forced the vessel to run aground off Istanbul's coastal district of Sile on Wednesday (December 19).

Sixteen crew members have been rescued from a cargo ship after heavy winds forced the vessel to run aground off Istanbul's coastal district of Sile on Wednesday (December 19).

The crew were stranded on board the 127-metre-long (417-ft) ship, dubbed Natalia and registered in the Comoros Islands. All have now been brought to safety, said a Reuters cameraman at the scene.

Emergency workers set up a rope rescue system and television images showed stranded crew members being brought to safety in baskets.

There were no reports of casualties or pollution caused by the incident, the governor of Istanbul's office said in a written statement.