Two ships collide near Istanbul, 10 crew members missing

September 2, 2026

Istanbul: Two Turkish-flagged merchant ships collided in the Sea of ​​Marmara near Istanbul, Turkey, early Wednesday. Following the collision, contact with one ship and its 10 crew members was lost, prompting the Coast Guard to launch a search and rescue operation.

The accident occurred near Silivri

According to the Istanbul Governor’s Office, the collision occurred around 3 a.m. south of the Silivri district. The accident involved two ships, the Alsu and the Tugberk Imamoglu.

One ship lost contact

The Alsu was traveling from Kocaeli to Aliağa in Izmir, while the Tugberk Imamoglu was traveling from Iskenderun to Karadeniz Ereğli on the Black Sea coast. The Tugberk Imamoglu and its 10-member crew were lost after the collision. Initial investigations revealed no apparent damage to the Alsu.

Naval units join the search

Several naval and coast guard units have been dispatched to the scene to search for the missing ship and its crew. Officials said the search and rescue operation is ongoing.