Cargo ship with 10 crew sinks off Istanbul: maritime authorities

Ankara: A cargo ship sank in the Marmara Sea near Istanbul after colliding with a second vessel, with rescuers hunting 10 people who were on board, Turkish officials said Wednesday.

The incident occurred before dawn when the ALSU, an empty oil tanker, collided with the Tugberk Imamoglu, a cargo ship carrying rolled steel, which sank shortly after, the transport ministry's maritime directorate said on X.

The collision occurred 18 nautical miles off Silivri district on the western edge of Istanbul province, the governor's office said on X.

"Due to the Tugberk İmamoglu not responding to any calls and the crew not answering their mobile phones... it is believed the dry cargo ship has sunk," the maritime directorate said. 

The ALSU's captain had reported the collision as happening at 3.15am (0015 GMT), with 14 search and rescue vessels dispatched to the area backed by a helicopter, it said. 

"Life-saving equipment, including a lifeboat belonging to the Tugberk Imamoglu which had 10 crew members on board, has been found at sea. Unfortunately, the crew members were not inside."

The ALSU, which was damaged in the collision, was also joining in search and rescue efforts, it said.

At the time of the collision, the Tugberk Imamoglu was carrying 4,200 tons of rolled sheet metal, it said. 

The maritime directorate initially said the ALSU was carrying 3,000 tonnes of motor oil, but later said the tanker was empty in a detail confirmed by the governorate. 

The incident took place three days after deadly ferry accident off Northern Cyprus in which eight Turkish nationals died with rescuers still hunting for another 20 people listed as missing.