Two Turkish-Flagged Vessels Collide Off Istanbul, Contact Lost With One

Two Turkish flagged commercial vessels collided off the coast of Silivri in Turkey in the early hours of Wednesday, September 2, after which contact was lost with one of the ships and its 10 crew members.

The collision took place at around 3 am local time, approximately 18 miles south of the Silivri coast, the Istanbul Governorship said in a statement cited by Haberler.com.

The vessels involved were identified as the ALSU and TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU, both Turkish flagged commercial vessels according to the report.

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According to Haberler.com, the ALSU was travelling from Kocaeli to Aliağa, while the TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU was sailing from İskenderun Port to Karadeniz Ereğli, when the two vessels collided. The reason for the collision has not yet been determined.

Following the incident, multiple maritime units and Coast Guard helicopters, along with units affiliated with the Marmara and Straits Command, were dispatched to the area, according to the Istanbul Governorship's statement.

In the initial examination conducted by the teams, no visible damage was found on the vessel named ALSU. However, it was reported that contact could not be established with the commercial vessel TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU and the 10 personnel on board. 

The authorities subsequently launched a search-and-rescue operation involving both sea and air units in an effort to locate the missing vessel and its crew members, Haberler.com reported.

The statement made by the Istanbul Governorship, as cited by Haberler.com, said, "According to the initial assessments of the units that arrived in the region, it has been observed that there is no visible damage on the vessel named ALSU. However, contact cannot be established at this time with the commercial vessel TUĞBERK İMAMOĞLU and the 10 personnel on board, and search and rescue efforts by units in the region are ongoing."

Search and rescue operations from sea and air continue to reach the missing vessel and its crew of 10 people.

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