ISTANBUL — 1979 · Major Tragedy

The Independenta Disaster: A Month-Long Fire on the Bosphorus

ClosedSources: ALast updated: 14 October 2026

In the early hours of 15 November 1979, the Romanian-flagged tanker Independenta, carrying about 94,000 tonnes of crude oil from Libya to Romania, collided with the Greek cargo ship Evriali off Haydarpaşa Port at the southern entrance to the Bosphorus. A series of explosions followed on the tanker. Of its crew of 46, 43 died and only three survived. The tanker ran aground off Haydarpaşa and burned for about a month. Tens of thousands of tonnes of oil burned or spilled into the sea, causing severe marine pollution in the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. Removing the wreck entirely took years; the broken-up hull was taken to Tuzla. The accident became one of the key events that opened a debate on the risks of tanker traffic through the Bosphorus.

Date: 1979
Place: Kadıköy (off Haydarpaşa), Istanbul
Category: Major Tragedy
Case Status: Closed
Coordinates: 41.0000, 29.0120 ↗

Timeline of Events

15 November 1979The Independenta collided with the Evriali off Haydarpaşa and exploded.
15 November 197943 of the 46 crew members were killed.

14 December 1979The fire, which had burned for about a month, went out.
1980sThe wreck was broken up over the years and taken to Tuzla.

Sources

Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.