Turkey Searches for Missing Cargo Ship After Collision Near Istanbul

Turkish authorities launched a search operation on Wednesday after a cargo ship with ten crew members went missing following a collision in the Marmara Sea, off the coast of Istanbul.

The incident occurred at around 3 a.m., approximately 32 kilometers south of Silivri, a western suburb of Istanbul, according to the Istanbul governor's office.

The missing vessel, the Tugberk Imamoglu, a 90-meter cargo ship flagged to Turkey, lost contact after colliding with the Turkish-flagged Alsu, an oil or chemical tanker that appeared undamaged. The governor's office stated that numerous naval units from the coast guard's Marmara and Bosphorus Command, along with a coast guard helicopter, were dispatched to the scene.

The Tugberk Imamoglu was en route from Iskenderun, a Mediterranean port, to Eregli on the Black Sea. The Alsu, measuring 91 meters, was sailing from Kocaeli, east of Istanbul, to Aliaga on the Aegean coast, according to the Marine Traffic website.

The Turkish Straits, which include the Bosphorus and Dardanelles at either end of the Marmara Sea, are among the world's busiest shipping lanes, with hundreds of thousands of vessels passing between the Mediterranean and Black Seas each year.