Archive · 2 Sep 2026
Two Turkish-Flagged Ships Collide Off Istanbul, Ten Crew Missing
Two ships registered in Turkey crashed near Istanbul.
The crash happened early Wednesday in the Sea of Marmara.
One ship was called Alsu, and the other was called Tugberk Imamoglu.
Officials could not contact the Tugberk Imamoglu or its 10 crew members afterward.
Rescue boats and a helicopter were sent to look for them.
The Alsu did not appear to have visible damage.
The ships were traveling on different routes, but officials had not said what caused the crash.
The search operation was still continuing.
The Turkish-flagged Alsu and Tugberk Imamoglu collided off Istanbul early Wednesday.
The collision occurred around 3 a.m. local time south of Silivri in the Sea of Marmara.
Authorities lost contact with the Tugberk Imamoglu and its 10 crew members.
Coast guard vessels, coastal safety boats and helicopters began search-and-rescue operations.
The Alsu showed no visible damage, while the cause of the collision remained unreported.
- Who
- The Turkish-flagged Alsu and Tugberk Imamoglu, including the 10 crew members aboard the Tugberk Imamoglu.
- What
- The two commercial vessels collided, after which contact was lost with one vessel and its crew.
- When
- Around 3 a.m. local time on Wednesday, or 0000 GMT.
- Where
- In the Sea of Marmara, about 18 nautical miles south of Istanbul’s Silivri district; one report described the distance as just over 20 miles, or 32 kilometers.
- Why
- The cause of the collision was not stated.
- Vessels
- Alsu and Tugberk Imamoglu; both were Turkish-flagged commercial vessels.
- Missing crew
- Authorities could not establish contact with 10 crew members aboard the Tugberk Imamoglu.
- Time
- Around 3 a.m. Wednesday local time, equivalent to 0000 GMT.
- Location
- The Sea of Marmara, south of Silivri in Istanbul; the incident was reported as 18 nautical miles or slightly more than 20 miles from Silivri.
- Rescue response
- Coast guard and coastal safety vessels, along with a coast guard helicopter, were dispatched.
- Alsu status
- Responding teams reported no visible damage to the Alsu.
- Ship types
- The Tugberk Imamoglu was described as a cargo or bulk carrier, while the Alsu was described as an oil or chemical tanker.
- Reported routes
- Reports listed the Alsu as traveling from Kocaeli toward Aliaga and the Tugberk Imamoglu from Iskenderun toward Karadeniz Eregli; one report gave only their destinations.
