2 Turkish-flagged ships collide in Sea of Marmara off Istanbul, 10 crew missing

Two Turkish-flagged commercial vessels collided off Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara on Wednesday and contact has been lost with one of the ships, the Istanbul governor's office said.

The Turkish-flagged Alsu, en route to the Aegean port of Aliaga, and the Turkish-flagged Tugberk Imamoglu, en route to the Black Sea port of Karadenizeregli, collided off the Silivri district of Istanbul at around 3 am (0000 GMT) on Wednesday, the governor's office said in a statement.

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Coast guard ships and helicopters were dispatched to the scene for search and rescue, and there was no visible damage on the Alsu, the statement said. But authorities were unable to establish contact with the Tugberk Imamoglu and its 10 crew members.

According to data from the Istanbul Chamber of Maritime Commerce, the Tugberk Imamoglu, owned by Zeybe Denizcilik, operates as a bulk carrier, while the Alsu, owned by Ozpulathane Deniz Tasimaciligi, operates as a chemical tanker.

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The search and rescue operation was still under way, the governor's office statement said.