Turkish Cargo Ship Sinks Off Istanbul Coast After Collision, 10 Crew Missing

Turkish rescue teams are conducting an extensive search for 10 missing crew members after a Turkish-flagged cargo ship sank following a collision with another vessel in the Marmara Sea off the coast of Istanbul early Wednesday.

The collision occurred at approximately 3:00 a.m. local time (0000 GMT) off Istanbul’s western Silivri district, according to an official statement issued by the Istanbul governor’s office. The crash involved the 90-meter (295-foot) bulk carrier Tugberk Imamoglu and the 91-meter chemical tanker Alsu, both of which were sailing under the Turkish flag.

Following the impact between the two ships, the bulk carrier went down rapidly. Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu told reporters during a press briefing in Istanbul that authorities believe the vessel sank in roughly 11 minutes. “We believe, and have more or less confirmed, that the Tugberk Imamoglu has sunk,” Uraloglu said. He added that “no one has been found alive” and noted that attempts to reach the missing sailors on their mobile phones were unsuccessful. Minister Uraloglu confirmed that all 10 crew members on board the vessel were Turkish citizens.

Search operations were mobilized shortly after the collision took place. Twelve search and rescue vessels along with two helicopters were dispatched to scour the sea in the vicinity of Silivri. The maritime directorate of Turkey’s Transport Ministry confirmed that emergency crews located floating life-saving equipment on the water’s surface, including a lifeboat identified as belonging to the Tugberk Imamoglu. However, officials noted that no crew members were found inside the floating gear.

Authorities believe the bulk carrier sank in an area where the sea reaches a depth of approximately 900 meters. At the time of the collision, the Tugberk Imamoglu was carrying 4,200 tons of rolled steel while traveling from the southern port of Iskenderun to the Black Sea port of Eregli.

The chemical tanker Alsu was en route from Kocaeli, a city situated east of Istanbul, to the Aegean port of Aliaga. According to statement details provided by the governor’s office, the Alsu was unladen at the time of the collision and did not show any signs of having suffered damage.

Rescue teams continue to search the area using air and sea assets in an attempt to locate the missing crew, though no survivors have been recovered from the site.

Background

The Sea of Marmara is an inland sea located entirely within Turkey’s borders, separating the country’s Asian and European regions. It forms a crucial component of one of the world’s most heavily navigated maritime trade routes, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea through the Dardanelles and Bosporus straits.