Two Turkish-flagged commercial vessels collided off Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara on Wednesday. Turkey is now conducting a full search operation after contact with one of the ships was lost.
The ships, Turkish-flagged Alsu, en route to the Aegean port of Aliaga, and Tugberk Imamoglu, en route to the Black Sea port of Karadenizregli, collided 18 nautical miles south of the Silivri district at around 3 am on Wednesday.
The Alsu reportedly had no visible damage aboard during initial inspections. The Tugberk Imamoglu and its 10 crew members are missing,
According to the Istanbul Chamber of Maritime Commerce, the Tugberk Imamoglu is a bulk carrier and was transporting approximately 4,199 tonnes of rolled steel when the collision occurred. The Alsu, meanwhile, is a chemical tanker
The reasons for the collision are under investigation.
Turkey has deployed its Coast Guard and the Directorate General of Coastal Safety and Coast Guard helicopters to the area. An extensive sea and air search and rescue operation is ongoing,
