A ferryboat and a dry cargo ship had a near miss in the Dardanelles on the night of Sept. 15. The Malta-flagged 80-meter-long cargo ship that was traveling from Russia to Albania, almost collided with a 50-meter-long ferryboat that carries passengers and automobiles between Gallipoli and the town of Çardak when the two ships barely grazed each other. Although the cargo ship and ferryboat both suffered minor damage, no casualties were reported in the incident. Following the accident, the General Directorate of Shore Security sent a boat to investigate. After the first examinations, the dry cargo ship was harbored in Şevketiye while the ferryboat was towed to Gallipoli Port. Further investigation into the incident is underway. Maritime safety is an important issue for Istanbul's Bosporus as well as the Dardanelles. A few months ago, a cargo ship crashed into the exterior of a waterfront mansion on the Bosporus in Istanbul's Kanlıca district.