Overview
- Two Turkish-flagged vessels, the cargo ship Tugberk Imamoglu and the tanker Alsu, collided in the Marmara Sea early Wednesday and the Tugberk Imamoglu sank rapidly.
- Rescue teams deployed two helicopters and more than a dozen vessels to the site and recovered debris and an empty lifeboat but found no survivors.
- Transport officials say all 10 seafarers aboard the 90-meter cargo ship are missing and are now feared dead after the ship sank in roughly 900 meters of water.
- The Tugberk Imamoglu’s owner blamed the Alsu’s navigational movements for the crash while authorities have launched formal investigations and the tanker was confirmed empty after earlier conflicting reports.
- The ship was carrying about 4,200 tonnes of rolled steel and the accident highlights navigational risks in the crowded, technically challenging Marmara Sea and could prompt tighter safety scrutiny and oversight.