Old sea mine found in Bosphorus destroyed

ISTANBUL

An exploded sea mine caught in fishermen’s net in the Bosphorus has been detonated by the efforts of the military.

“A sea mine, which was caught in the net of a fishing boat and taken to a deck in the Bosphorus, was examined by an Underwater Defense [SAS] team and destroyed at the SAS Command/Riva destruction training area,” the Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

The net was thrown into the sea from a fishing boat six days ago off the coast of Poyrazköy and Yavuz Selim Bridge in the Bosphorus Strait, a natural waterway dividing the Asian and European sides of Istanbul.

Police and coast guard teams were dispatched to the area after the fishermen reported the situation, while the boat was towed to Poyrazköy Port with the presence of the authorities.

Having been loaded onto a truck with the help of a crane after examination by bomb disposal experts from the Turkish Navy, the sea mine was destroyed in a controlled manner.

No information was given on when the sea mine was released into the sea.