Two ships collide off Istanbul coast, 10 crew members missing

Two Turkish-flagged commercial vessels collided in the Sea of Marmara off Istanbul's Silivri district early Wednesday, prompting an extensive search and rescue operation after authorities lost contact with one ship and its 10 crew members, the Istanbul Governor's Office said. The incident occurred at approximately 3 a.m. local time (0000GMT) about 18 nautical miles south of Silivri, according to the governor's office.

The vessel Alsu, which was sailing from Kocaeli to Aliaga, struck the Tugberk Imamoglu, which was traveling from Iskenderun Port to Karadeniz Eregli. Maritime officials have not yet determined the cause of the collision, which took place in busy shipping lanes near the entrance to the Bosphorus Strait.

Search efforts underway

Vessels from the General Directorate of Coastal Safety and the Coast Guard Marmara and Straits Command, along with a Coast Guard helicopter, were immediately dispatched to the scene, authorities said. Initial assessments conducted by responding teams found no visible damage to the Alsu, which maintained communication with maritime officials following the incident.

However, search teams have been unable to establish contact with the Tugberk Imamoglu since the collision occurred. Coast Guard officials confirmed that 10 crew members were aboard the missing vessel when contact was lost.

Maritime routes

The Alsu had departed from Kocaeli province bound for Aliaga on the Aegean coast, while the Tugberk Imamoglu was en route from Iskenderun Port to Karadeniz Eregli on the Black Sea. Both vessels were operating under the Turkish flag at the time of the incident.

Search and rescue operations continued throughout Wednesday as teams scanned the waters where the Tugberk Imamoglu was last detected. The Sea of Marmara serves as a critical transit route connecting the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea, handling substantial commercial traffic daily between Türkiye's major ports.