06 / 10
Cargo ship sinks off Istanbul; ten missing
A Turkish bulk carrier sank in the Sea of Marmara after colliding with a tanker.
What happened
The Turkish bulk carrier Tugberk Imamoglu sank after colliding with the tanker Alsu off Silivri in the Sea of Marmara. Authorities lost contact with all ten Turkish crew members aboard the carrier and continued a search involving boats and helicopters. Officials reported no visible damage to the tanker.
Numbers
- 10 crew membersUnreachable after the carrier sank — All were Turkish nationals
- 11 minutesTime officials said sinking took — Following the emergency signal
- 900 metresApproximate water depth near site — Transport minister's estimate
Questions
- What were the ships carrying?
- The bulk carrier was taking coiled steel to Karadenizeregli, while the tanker was bound for Aliaga carrying engine oil.
- What does the owner say happened?
- The carrier’s owner said its captain had warned Alsu that the tanker was entering the cargo vessel’s shipping lane before impact.
- How deep is the water there?
- The transport minister placed the depth near nine hundred metres, and said the carrier sank within eleven minutes after the collision.
- Why is the Marmara route important?
- The Marmara links the Black Sea and Aegean through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, making it a connecting waterway.
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
The catch
The collision’s cause and the fate of the missing crew have not been confirmed.