Two ships collide off Silivri in the Marmara Sea; 10 crew members missing

At around 00:00, two Turkish-flagged commercial ships collided 18 nautical miles south of Silivri. Ten crew members aboard the Tuğberk İmamoğlu, which was carrying rolled steel, cannot be reached, while 14 maritime assets and helicopters are taking part in the search and rescue operation.

Scraper SystemSeptember 02, 2026, 11:39 AM

Two ships collide off Silivri in the Marmara Sea; 10 crew members missing

Two Turkish-flagged commercial ships collided in the Marmara Sea, approximately 18 nautical miles (35 kilometers) south of Silivri. The empty Alsu tanker, sailing from Kocaeli to Aliağa, and the Tuğberk İmamoğlu dry cargo ship, bound from the Port of İskenderun to Karadeniz Ereğli, were involved in the accident at around 03:00.

According to the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs, a signal from the Tuğberk İmamoğlu's Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon was received through the Satellite-Assisted Search and Rescue System at 03:26. An examination determined that the signal had come from the ship inside the traffic separation scheme.

Search and rescue operation launched

The captain of the Alsu tanker notified the Vessel Traffic Services Center at around 03:15 that they had collided with an unidentified ship. A search and rescue operation was then launched, and the first maritime asset set out for the area at 04:10.

After the Tuğberk İmamoğlu failed to respond to calls and no one answered calls to the crew members' mobile phones, authorities assessed that the ship may have sunk. Teams from the General Directorate of Coastal Safety and the Turkish Coast Guard Command continue search and rescue efforts in the area.

No crew found in life-saving equipment

Ten seafarers were working aboard the Tuğberk İmamoğlu, which was carrying 4,199 tons of rolled steel. The ship's life-saving equipment, including its free-fall lifeboat, was found on the surface of the sea, but no crew members were found inside.

Fourteen maritime search and rescue assets, one helicopter and the Alsu tanker involved in the collision took part in the operation at the scene. The Istanbul Governor's Office said initial findings showed no visible damage to the Alsu tanker.

Two helicopters and 12 maritime vessels operating in the area

According to the governor's office's second statement, the search and rescue operation involves two helicopters and nine maritime assets from the Coast Guard Marmara and Straits Regional Command, along with three vessels from the Coastal Safety Directorate.

The statement said the empty Alsu tanker had been affected by the collision and that the sea depth in the area was approximately 800 to 900 meters. Efforts related to the maritime accident are continuing.

Two ships collide off Silivri in the Marmara Sea; 10 crew members missing