It was a rather bizarre series of events. A floating ferry dock on the European side of Istanbul became unhinged, began to list, and then sank during a particularly violent storm over the past weekend. Usually it is the boats themselves that are at the center of ferry disasters (like the tragic accident in the Philippines earlier this year), not ferry terminals, which are, theoretically, firmly attached to land.
The pier at the port of Karakoy began to sway dangerously during the storm. Everyone on the dock was evacuated before it broke free and sank into the Bosporus (the strait that divides the two sides of Istanbul). Though Karakoy is a major ferry crossing, it is not the only way to get from the European side of the city to the Asian side. There are other ferry crossings (though these will be a bit more crowded until Karakoy is rebuilt and reopened). There are also private ferries and, of course, the two massive bridges that span the Bosporus. The sinking shouldn’t hinder anyone’s Istanbul vacation plans…though it might make them think twice before stepping onto a ferry dock.