Turkish cargo ship sinks in just 11 minutes after tanker collision; 10 crew members missing

A Turkish cargo ship carrying 10 crew members sank within minutes after colliding with a tanker in the Marmara Sea off Istanbul early Wednesday, triggering a major search and rescue operation.

Authorities said the vessel, Tugberk Imamoglu, went down rapidly after the collision, with no crew members found alive so far. A lifeboat and debris believed to belong to the cargo ship have been recovered, but there has been no sign of the 10 sailors, including the captain.

Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the sinking happened in just 11 minutes.

“There are 10 seafarers on board, including the captain,” he said, adding that all those aboard were Turkish nationals. “We can say that the sinking occurred rapidly in 11 minutes. No one has been found alive.”

Collision reported at 3 am

The Turkish General Directorate of Maritime Affairs said the 90-metre cargo vessel collided with the Turkish-flagged tanker Alsu at around 3 am in the Marmara Sea.

An emergency signal was received from the Tugberk Imamoglu following the collision. The first rescue vessel reached the area at approximately 4.10 am.

The collision took place around 20 miles, or 32 kilometres, south of Silivri, a western suburb of Istanbul.

Authorities later said the vessel was believed to have sunk after it stopped responding to calls. Mobile phones belonging to those on board also went unanswered.

The Tugberk Imamoglu was carrying rolled steel and was travelling from the Mediterranean port of Iskenderun to Eregli in the Black Sea.

The Alsu, measuring 91 metres, is an oil or chemical tanker that was travelling from Kocaeli, east of Istanbul, to Aliaga on Turkey's Aegean coast, according to Marine Traffic.

Major search operation underway

Two helicopters and 12 search and rescue vessels have been deployed to search the waters for the missing crew members.

The incident comes as Turkish naval units are also involved in another major maritime search operation following the sinking of a passenger ferry off the coast of Cyprus on Sunday.

Eight people were killed when the Filo Jet sank, while 20 others remain missing.

The Marmara Sea connects to two of the world's busiest maritime passages, the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, which link the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Hundreds of thousands of vessels pass through the Turkish Straits each year.

With AP inputs