10:11

Two Turkish-flagged commercial vessels have collided off the coast of Silivri in the Sea of Marmara.

Axar.az reports according to the Istanbul Governor’s Office, the Turkish-flagged commercial vessel Alsu, sailing from Kocaeli to the Port of Aliaga, collided with the Turkish-flagged commercial vessel Tugberk Imamoglu, which was sailing from the Port of Iskenderun to Karadeniz Eregli.

The incident occurred at 3:00 a.m. local time, 18 nautical miles south of the coast of Silivri.

Multiple naval units and a Coast Guard helicopter were dispatched to the scene.

Although the Alsu was not damaged in the collision, contact has been lost with the 10 crew members aboard the other vessel.

Search and rescue operations are ongoing.

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No survivors have been found so far from the vessel that sank off the coast of Silivri.

Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu noted that the first distress call regarding the accident was received at 3:26 a.m.:

“The vessel sank very quickly, in just 11 minutes.”