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Two Turkish-flagged commercial ships collided off Silivri in the Marmara Sea early Wednesday, and authorities could not establish contact with the 10 crew members aboard one of the vessels, the Istanbul Governor’s Office reported.
The Alsu and Tugberk Imamoglu collided at around 3 a.m. local time (GMT+3), about 18 miles south of Silivri, the Istanbul Governor’s Office reported.
Several maritime units from the Coastal Safety Directorate and the Coast Guard Marmara and Straits Command were sent to the scene, along with a coast guard helicopter.
Search-and-rescue operations continue as authorities try to locate the crew of the Tugberk Imamoglu, which is believed to have sunk.
The Alsu was sailing from Kocaeli, in northwestern Türkiye, to Aliaga in Izmir province on the Aegean coast and was empty, while the Tugberk Imamoglu was traveling from Iskenderun in southern Türkiye’s Hatay province to Karadeniz Eregli in Zonguldak province on the Black Sea coast, carrying 4,199 tons of steel coils.
Türkiye's Directorate General for Maritime Affairs said the Tugberk Imamoglu did not respond to repeated calls, while attempts to reach its crew members by cellphone also went unanswered. Authorities therefore assessed that the vessel had sunk.
The directorate also reported that life-saving equipment belonging to the Tugberk Imamoglu, including its free-fall lifeboat, was found on the sea surface, but no crew members were located inside.
Istanbul Governor’s Office said search-and-rescue operations were continuing with two helicopters, nine maritime vessels from the Coast Guard Marmara and Straits Regional Command and three vessels from the Coastal Safety Directorate.
The governor’s office added that the Alsu tanker, which was affected by the collision, was empty and that the sea in the area where the accident occurred was approximately 800 to 900 meters deep.
A total of 14 maritime search-and-rescue units, two helicopters and the Alsu tanker are taking part in the operation as the search continues.
Türkiye's Naval Forces Command also dispatched one unmanned aerial vehicle, one frigate, two ships and one fast attack boat to support search-and-rescue operations, the Defense Ministry said.
According to details provided by Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, the captain of the other vessel involved in the accident, the Alsu, reported that it had collided with another vessel.
Authorities received an emergency signal from the vessel's Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) at 3:26 a.m. The main search-and-rescue center then tried to reach the vessel over VHF radio.
"When we reached the area, we thought that the Tugberk Imamoglu had sunk," Uraloglu said. "It was the vessel that we had more or less confirmed had sunk."
Uraloglu said the water depth in the area was approximately 900 meters and that all 10 people aboard the Tugberk Imamoglu, including the captain, were Turkish nationals.
"If we take 3:15 a.m. as the time of the collision and 3:26 a.m. as the time we received the emergency call, and if we accept that the captain's report of 3:15 a.m. is correct, we can say that the sinking happened very quickly, in about 11 minutes," he explained.
"We saw one of the lifeboats, which was empty, as well as life rings and some remnants of the ship, but unfortunately, no one has been reached alive so far," the minister added.
Director General for Maritime Affairs Unal Baylan confirmed that all 10 crew members are Turkish nationals, with further details of the incident to be examined based on records to be reviewed by relevant authorities.
Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, meanwhile, launched an investigation into the collision.
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