Grain ship from Ukraine runs aground in Istanbul, halting traffic

A rudder on the vessel failed about 6pm on Thursday, leaving it stranded in the busy strait

'Lady Zehma', a cargo ship carrying corn from Ukraine, is grounded and anchored after a rudder failure in the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday. Reuters

A cargo ship carrying more than 3,000 tonnes of corn from Ukraine drifted aground in Istanbul on Thursday, halting shipping on Turkey's Bosphorus strait.

The 173-metre Lady Zehma was safely grounded and anchored after a rudder failure about 6pm, said the Istanbul governor's office and a shipping company.

The office said no one was hurt and coastguards were attending.

The ship's bow was about 150 metres from shore in the busy Bebek neighbourhood, according to a witness and Refinitiv Eikon data.

Ukraine's grain exports slumped after Russia invaded the country on February 24 and blockaded its Black Sea ports, driving up global food prices and prompting fears of shortages in Africa and the Middle East.

Three ports were unblocked under the deal signed on July 22 by Moscow and Kyiv, and brokered by the UN and Turkey.

Ukraine and Russia sign grains deal - in pictures

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar attend a signing ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey. Reuters

Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, seated, at the signing ceremony. Reuters

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, left, Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, second left, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, seated, second right, and Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar at the signing ceremony. Reuters

Mr Guterres speaks during the signing ceremony. Reuters

Mr Guterres and Mr Erdogan sit at the start of the signature ceremony for an agreement on the safe transportation of grain and foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports. AFP

Mr Erdogan speaks at the signing ceremony. Reuters

Mr Guterres and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stand together on the day of the deal signing in Istanbul. Reuters

Roman Abramovich attends the ceremony in Istanbul. Reuters

Mr Guterres said the deal would clear the way for grain shipments from three Ukrainian ports; Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny, stabilising runaway prices on the global market. Reuters

The UN chief said a co-ordination centre would be set up in Istanbul to manage Black Sea traffic. Reuters

A Turkish national flag, a Russian national flag, a United Nations flag and a Ukrainian national flag in Istanbul, before the deal was signed. AFP

The Joint Co-ordination Centre in Istanbul, which oversees the agreement and comprises UN, Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish officials, told Reuters the ship was "stranded during her passage from the strait and an emergency boarding operation is under way" by Turkish authorities.

This week the co-ordination centre said the Lady Zehma was cleared to depart Ukraine's Chornomorsk port for Ravenna, Italy, with 3,000 tonnes of corn.

Turkey's Tribeca shipping company said it contained 30,274 tonnes of corn.

Three ships with grain leave Ukraine under landmark deal - video

As of Wednesday, about 1.55 million tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs had been exported from Ukraine under the deal, while 139 inbound and outbound voyages had been enabled, the centre said.

Such incidents are rare on the picturesque Bosphorus, which divides Turkey's largest city and connects the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea and beyond to the Mediterranean.