Two Turkish-flagged commercial ships collided off the coast of Istanbul's Silivri district early Wednesday, with maritime authorities saying one of the vessels is believed to have sunk after contact was lost with the ship and its 10 crew members, while the Turkish Navy has joined the ongoing search and rescue operation.
The Turkish-flagged commercial vessel Alsu, which was sailing from Kocaeli to Aliağa, collided at around 3 am local time with the Turkish-flagged commercial vessel Tuğberk Imamoğlu, which was traveling from Iskenderun Port to Karadeniz Ereğli, according to the Istanbul Governor's Office.
The collision occurred 18 nautical miles south of Silivri.
The governor's office said vessels from the General Directorate of Coastal Safety and the Coast Guard Marmara and Straits Command, along with a Coast Guard helicopter, were dispatched to the scene.
Initial assessments by responding teams found no visible damage to the Alsu.
