A cargo ship has crashed into a historic mansion on Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait, severely damaging the building.

The Maltese-flagged cargo ship had a malfunction that disabled its rudder and caused it to lose control in the busy waterway, Turkey's official Anadolu news agency said.

Videos showed the large ship sailing straight towards the Asian shores of Istanbul, hitting the red seaside mansion of Hekimbasi Salih Efendi. No-one was injured.

The 225-metre ship was carrying barley from Russia to Saudi Arabia, Anadolu said.

The mansion once belonged to a doctor who served in the Ottoman palace and dates back to the 18th century.

The Bosphorus is a key waterway connecting the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara and then the Aegean Sea.

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