A dramatic turn of events in the collision between two merchant ships in the Sea of Marmara, as Turkey’s General Directorate of Maritime Affairs announced that the cargo ship “Tuğberk İmamoğlu” has sunk, and none of its 10 crew members have been located.
Of particular concern is the fact that the ship’s lifesaving equipment was found on the water’s surface, including a free-fall lifeboat, but none of the sailors were found inside them.
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The accident occurred at approximately 3:15 a.m. on Wednesday, 18 nautical miles—about 35 kilometers—off the coast of Silivria.
According to the General Directorate of Shipping, the tanker “Alsu,” which was carrying 2,999 metric tons of lubricant and was traveling from Kocaeli to Aliaga, and the cargo ship “Tuğberk İmamoğlu,” which was carrying 4,199 metric tons of steel coils from Alexandretta to Karadeniz Ereğli.
At 3:26 a.m., a distress signal was received via the COSPAS-SARSAT search and rescue satellite system from the ship’s EPIRB emergency beacon. At 03:41, the captain of the “Alsu” informed maritime traffic control that he had collided at approximately 03:15 with a vessel whose identity he did not know.
Authorities repeatedly attempted to contact the “Tuğberk İmamoğlu,” but received no response. They even called the crew members’ cell phones, also to no avail.
“It is believed that the cargo ship Tuğberk İmamoğlu has sunk,” announced the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs.
At the same time, it was reported that no signal was being received from the ship’s AIS (Automatic Identification System) at the time of the accident.
According to the Istanbul Governor’s Office, the water depth at the site of the collision is approximately 800–900 meters, a fact that significantly complicates rescue operations.
A large contingent of the Turkish Coast Guard and Coast Security is participating in the search, with 14 vessels and a helicopter, and the “Alsu” is also taking part.
Operations are continuing to locate the 10 missing sailors.
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