2 commercial ships collide off Istanbul’s Silivri coast, 10 crew members missing

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 Aliaga, collided at around 3 am local time (0000GMT) with the Turkish-flagged commercial vessel Tugberk Imamoglu, which was traveling from Iskenderun Port to Karadeniz Eregli, 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.

The Directorate General of Maritime Affairs said in a statement that the Tugberk Imamoglu is believed to have sunk after the vessel failed to respond to any radio calls and none of its crew members answered their phones.

“Life-saving equipment belonging to the Tugberk Imamoglu vessel (including the free-fall lifeboat), for which 10 crew members were assigned, has been located on the sea surface; unfortunately, no ship personnel have been detected inside them,” the directorate said.

“Developments regarding the maritime accident are being monitored, and the public will be informed,” it added.

• Investigation launched into collision

The Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the collision, assigning a deputy chief public prosecutor and two prosecutors to the case.

The prosecutor's office said the Tugberk Imamoglu was carrying rolled steel and construction rebar, while the Alsu was carrying motor oil when the two vessels collided.

It said instructions were issued to conduct expert examinations to determine how and why the accident occurred and identify any possible responsibility.

Authorities were also ordered to secure and collect the vessels' navigation, radar, and communication records, as well as all other documents, footage, and evidence related to the collision.

• Turkish Navy joins search operation

The Turkish National Defense Ministry later announced that Naval Forces Command assets had been deployed to support the search and rescue operation for the vessel.

The ministry said the necessary orders were issued to the command units at 8.40 am local time (0540GMT), with an unmanned aerial vehicle immediately reaching the area and beginning search operations.

It added that the TCG Salihreis frigate, TCG Akin rescue and towing ship, TCG Osmangazi landing ship, and TCG Karayel fast attack craft were also dispatched to the scene to reinforce the ongoing search and rescue efforts.

• Vessel sank within about 11 minutes, transport minister says

Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the Tugberk Imamoglu appears to have sunk within about 11 minutes after the collision.

Uraloglu said authorities received an emergency signal from the vessel's Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), a device used to transmit a ship's location in an emergency.

Following the signal, Türkiye's main search and rescue coordination center attempted to contact the vessel via VHF radio, he said.

The captain of the Alsu, the other vessel involved in the collision, responded and reported at 3.15 am (0015GMT) that his ship had collided with another vessel, confirming the incident, Uraloglu added.

He said Coastal Safety, Coast Guard, and search and rescue vessels, along with tugboats, were dispatched to the area within minutes.

Uraloglu said authorities believe the Tugberk Imamoglu sank in waters about 900 meters (2,950 feet) deep, adding that all 10 crew members aboard, including the captains, are Turkish nationals.

Authorities received an emergency call from the Tugberk Imamoglu at 3.26 am (0026GMT) and subsequently tried to reach crew members through their registered mobile phones and radio systems, but received no response, he said.

"If we take the collision time as 3.15 am and the time we received the emergency call as 3.26 am, we can say that the vessel sank very rapidly, within about 11 minutes," Uraloglu said.

Search teams found an empty lifeboat, life rings, and other debris believed to belong to the vessel, he said.

"Unfortunately, no one has been found alive so far," Uraloglu said, adding that search and rescue operations are continuing both by sea and air.