Kathmandu— A Turkish cargo ship, the Tugberk Imamoglu, sank in the Marmara Sea off Istanbul early Wednesday morning following a collision with another vessel. The incident occurred before dawn when the ALSU, an empty oil tanker, collided with the Tugberk Imamoglu, which was carrying rolled steel and subsequently sank within minutes. Turkish officials are searching for 10 crew members who are missing.

Collision Details

The collision took place approximately 18 nautical miles off the Silivri district on the western edge of Istanbul province. The Tugberk Imamoglu sank very quickly, within just 11 minutes after the reported collision time of 3:15 am. Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu stated that no survivors have been found so far despite spotting life buoys and an empty lifeboat.

Search and Rescue Efforts

Rescue operations are ongoing with the involvement of 14 vessels and a helicopter. The ALSU, which was not damaged in the collision, is also assisting in search efforts. Maritime experts suggest that human error likely contributed to the collision, as the Sea of Marmara is heavily trafficked but closely monitored.

Vessel Information

The Tugberk Imamoglu, a Turkish-flagged cargo ship built in 1990 and measuring 90 meters long, was carrying approximately 4,200 tons of rolled sheet metal and rebar at the time of the collision. The ALSU, initially reported to be carrying motor oil, was later confirmed to be empty.

(With inputs from RN)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.