This Sunday, Tunisian rescue services quickly responded off the coast of the Houichat region, near Bizerte, to assist a Turkish maritime tugboat and its crew, as well as the floating platform it was towing. The intervention followed the breakage of towing cables caused by adverse weather conditions, according to a local official. The national navy, maritime guard, and Tunisian Ports Authority, in collaboration with other entities from the Ministry of Transport, as well as local authorities and the commercial port of Menzel Bourguiba, took the necessary measures to secure the tugboat and its crew in the cleared area offshore from Bizerte, where the vessel was able to dock without difficulty. Meanwhile, the floating platform, specializing in oil drilling, is currently off the coast of Houichat in southern Bizerte. The official specified that the platform’s crew confirmed it was not carrying any petroleum or other substances that could harm the marine environment. He added that all Tunisian authorities at every level continue to closely monitor the situation. The Turkish tugboat, coming from Portugal and heading to Turkey, was towing the platform near the coast of Ras Angel when a towing cable broke due to challenging weather conditions, characterized by strong waves and powerful ocean currents.
This situation forced the tugboat’s captain to request urgent assistance, which Tunisian services promptly provided.
