A Croatian police boat takes crew members from a damaged Turkish cargo ship in Split, Croatia, on June 17, 2018. The Turkish cargo ship that suffered damage near Jabuka island off southern Croatia on Sunday morning will be dragged to the Trogir shipyard during the night, Split maritime police commissioner Joso Vujic told the media. (Xinhua/Ivo Cagalj)

ZAGREB, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish cargo ship that suffered damage near Jabuka island off southern Croatia on Sunday morning will be dragged to the Trogir shipyard during the night, Split maritime police commissioner Joso Vujic told the media.

Croatian news agency quoted Vujic as saying that there was no danger of the ship sinking or pollution in the Adriatic Sea. Eight of the 13 crew member on the Turkish ship Haksa were brought to Split port by a police boat, while the captain and another four crew members stayed on the ship.

The incident happened at around 4 a.m. Sunday, when the crew of the ship reported sea water going into the underwater freight vessel. It occurred in international waters 16 miles northwest of Croatian island Jabuka.

The police commissioner told reporters that the ship likely suffered damage because it was old. The 85-meter-long ship was transporting 3,000 tonnes of magnesite from Turkey to Slovenian port Koper.

"We have shown with this operation that all state search and rescue services are ready and can respond to any challenge at sea, showing Croatia to be a safe tourist destination," Vujic said at the press conference.

The assistant to the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Transport, Sinisa Orlic, told reporters that a very dangerous situation was successfully solved as it seemed earlier in the morning that the ship would sink.

He explained that the rescuers attached an aluminum plate at the opening where the water was penetrating and that the situation is under control.

"We hope that this will end without human sacrifices and without pollution of the sea," Orlic said at the press conference.