Turkey detains nine tanker crew members after collision near Istanbul
Turkish authorities detained nine of the 10 crew members of the ALSU oil tanker after its collision with the Tugberk Imamoglu cargo vessel near Istanbul. The cargo vessel sank, and all 10 of its sailors are considered missing, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.
Collision near Silivri
The accident occurred on the morning of September 2, 18 nautical miles off the Silivri district, on the western outskirts of Istanbul province. The empty ALSU tanker collided with the Tugberk Imamoglu, which was carrying rolled steel products.
According to officials, the damaged cargo vessel sank “very quickly” in an area where the sea depth is about 900 meters. The ALSU tanker was not damaged. The cause of the collision was not immediately clear.
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Search operation and crew detentions
Anadolu Agency reported that nine ALSU crew members, excluding the ship’s cook, were detained; they gave statements to police. The search-and-rescue operation continued with the involvement of 18 vessels, five helicopters, two drones, an aircraft and a Navy ship conducting underwater searches.
According to VesselFinder, Tugberk Imamoglu is a 90-meter vessel sailing under the Turkish flag, built in 1990. At the time of the accident, it was carrying 4,200 tonnes of coiled steel sheets and rebar. The maritime directorate initially stated that ALSU was carrying 3,000 tonnes of motor oil, but later clarified that the tanker was empty. This was also confirmed by the office of the Istanbul governor.
