Tanker runs aground in the Bosphorus

Turkish officials confirmed that a tanker loaded with sulphuric acid has run aground in the Bosphorus Strait.

The captain of the 116-meter Metin K, carrying a Turkish flag, tried to anchor but the vessel drifted because of the strong winds.

The tanker was on its way from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara.

Bosphorus Strait is one of the world's busiest waterways

According to an official from Turkey's port directorate, there have been no reports of the acid leaking from the tanker.

Divers were checking the hull of the ship, which is said to be carrying 5,000 tons of the chemical.

The ship is about 10 metres off the shore of Istanbul's Yenikoy residential area, Turkish commercial NTV television channel reported

On Wednesday two Turkish oil tankers collided in the Sea of Marmara near an oil refinery, but officials said the accident posed no environmental threat, as both ships were empty.

The Bosphorus Strait is one of the world's busiest waterways.

This is the sole passage between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.