On Friday, March 7, a U.S. oil tanker was struck by a container ship near Istanbul, resulting in structural damage and a ballast tank leak.

The oil tanker, named Mia, was hit by the Turkish-flagged container ship Orita while anchored approximately five miles offshore. Reportedly, Turkish television filmed and broadcasted the incident.

Mia is a 149,686 DWT oil tanker. The container ship Orita, measuring 130 meters in length with a deadweight tonnage of 8,000, made “contact” with Mia while the latter was stationary.

Built in 2005, Orita is registered in Panama. AIS tracking data shows that the container ship was en route to the port of Sulina, Romania, but remained anchored after the incident.

According to ship databases, Orita is currently managed by Cyprus-based UniShip Marine Management (though some sources indicate Turkish management), but the vessel may actually be operated under lease or cooperation agreements. Historical records show that the ship has previously worked with several regional feeder operators, including:

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• X-Press Feeders, specializing in feeder services across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
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• Arkas Line, a Turkish company active in the Black Sea and Mediterranean regions.
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• Sealand, a regional brand under Maersk.
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Eyewitnesses reported that Orita collided with Mia while making a turn. As a result, one of Mia’s ballast tanks was punctured, leading to the discharge of contaminated water.

Although the Turkish Coast Guard confirmed that the leak was not oil, it was still classified as a pollutant.

The first emergency vessel to arrive at the scene was the Efes10 tugboat, operated by Marport Uzmar. It secured the area while authorities assessed the situation. Later, the General Directorate of Coastal Safety deployed a larger rescue tug, Rescue 2, to assist in the response.

The crew of Mia attempted to carry out emergency repairs on the damaged ballast tank to prevent further leakage. Meanwhile, the Turkish Coast Guard began inspecting Orita to assess the extent of the container ship’s damage.

Reports indicate that Orita sustained visible damage from the collision.

The ownership and operational background of Mia remain unclear. The tanker is registered under a Seychelles-based company and has not been inspected since 2014. It is believed that Mia has operated under different identities in the past, possibly using names such as Magus and Freedom.