Cargo ship sinks after Marmara collision, 10 crew members missing
A Turkish-flagged cargo ship sank within 11 minutes after colliding with another vessel off the coast of Istanbul early on Sept. 2, leaving all 10 crew members aboard missing as an extensive search-and-rescue operation continued in the Marmara Sea.
The collision between the Tuğberk İmamoğlu and the tanker Alsu occurred at around 3:15 a.m., approximately 35 kilometers off Silivri. The Tuğberk İmamoğlu was sailing from the southern Mediterranean port of Iskenderun toward Karadeniz Ereğli on the Black Sea, carrying coils of steel and construction materials. The Alsu was traveling from Kocaeli toward the Aegean port of Aliağa.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said an emergency call was received at 3:26 a.m., just 11 minutes after the collision, describing the sinking as exceptionally rapid. All 10 crew members aboard the Tuğberk İmamoğlu were Turkish nationals, he said, adding that rescuers had so far been unable to locate anyone alive.
The ship’s lifeboats were found on the surface, but no crew members were detected inside them. Authorities said repeated calls to the vessel and the crew’s mobile phones received no response.
